Rejection Hotline Started It All
by Michaelover101
Summary: She rejected him and it only intrigued him more. Watch the story unfold. PDLD.
1. The Pick Up Lines

**_Title:_** Rejection Hotline Started It All

**_Author:_** Michaelover101

**_Summery:_** She rejected him and it only intrigued him more. Watch the story unfold. PDLD.

**_Rating:_** T... to be safe. Suggestive language and all.

**_Disclaimer:_** GG belongs to ASP and DP, and Rejection Hotline belongs to Jeff Goldblatt.

**_Beta: _**The best beta in the world! Flynn.

**_Notes:_** Read author's note at bottom please.

_**Part 1: The Pick Up Lines**_

"I'm an so sick of being hit on at work," Rory Gilmore groaned. "I can't even type at my desk anymore without some guy coming up to me, trying to pick me up."

Rory Gilmore worked at the New York Times as an advice columnist. It wasn't the job she had wanted as a kid, but after filling temporarily after the regular columnist had quit, the boss had seen that she had a knack for it and kept her on. Not that she was complaining, the pay was good and she still got to write her political articles every so often.

With her long wavy coffee brown hair swept back in a French braid, with her bangs falling to one side, she took a drink of her Screwdriver.

Every Friday, she and her friends would get together at a local pub near their apartments and complain about their jobs and the idiot men that surrounded them during the week.

Stephanie Merdock was the editor of the prestigious Cosmopolitan magazine and was very happy with her job. She sat next to Rory with her long blonde curly hair falling in front of her face as she drank her Martini.

Across from them sat Paris Geller, in all her ferocious glory. She was the resident District Attorney who always had the most to complain about, with pig cops and sexist attorneys hounding her all day. Her dirty blonde hair was swept back in a ponytail at the nape of her neck.

"What is it about guys that think the world revolves around them?" Paris asked as she downed one of her shots that were sitting on the tray in front of her.

"What is it about guys that think we'll just fall at their feet at any stupidity that comes out of their mouths?" Steph asked taking a sip of her Cosmo.

"I heard the horrible pick up line the other day," Rory said thinking about the encounter she had with one of the staff editors in the copy room.

"Do tell," Steph said interested.

Rory chuckled as she thought about it before telling her friends. "I was in the copy room when a co-worker came up to me and said with this cocky smile and a wink 'My name is Earl, but you can call me Fred, 'cause I can make your bed rock.'"

The girls howled with laughter at the line.

"That's not the sad part," Rory laughed trying to calm them down.

"What is?" Paris asked.

"His names was Stan," Rory said seriously, causing the girls into another bout of laughter.

"No, no, what about this one," Paris said still laughing. " Your place or mine? Tell you what, I'll flip a coin, heads my place, tails yours."

The girls laughed, causing Steph to chime in with hers.

"This one, 'I think I feel like Richard Gere - I'm standing next to you, pretty woman."

Rory laughed. "Oh, my mom would love that one, it's mockable and has a pop culture reference. But here's another one. 'Girl, you gotta be tired, 'cause you've been running through my head all day long.'"

"Sadly, I've heard that one," Paris laughed. "Here's one," she said sitting up. "It's not my fault I fell in love, you're the one that tripped me."

"No, no," Steph laughed. "Hey, do you live on a chicken farm, 'cause you're real good at raising cocks."

Paris gave a hoot of laughter as Rory put her hand to her mouth to stifle it.

"Or there's 'When god made you, he was only showing off'," Rory told them.

"Then there's the very classic, 'Did it hurt when you fell from heaven'," Steph said taking another drink.

Rory rolled her eyes. "That one is outdated, my mom said my dad used that one."

"Did she fall for it?" Paris asked taking another shot.

Rory laughed. "They're married, aren't they?"

Steph and Paris laughed. As they continued on drinking and laughing, the dirtier the pick up lines got and the louder the laughter.

"The word of the day is legs, let's go back to my place and spread the word," Paris laughed

"I'm going to have sex with you tonight... so you might as well be there." Stephanie added.

"What do you say we go back to my crib and do some math: add a bed, subtract our clothes, divide your legs and multiply," Rory choked out in between laughs.

"Are you a sergeant, because you make my privates stand up." Steph giggled.

"Hey babe, nice legs, when do they open?" Paris said, making her voice deeper, causing the girls to laugh harder

"Let's play house, you be the screen door and I'll bang you all night," Rory put in.

"Oh! Oh! I have one!" Steph said. "I can't make a cherry pop, but I can make a banana cream."

The girls laughed as they downed the rest of their drinks, adding their pick up lines as they came into their heads.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

Finn turned his head in amusement as he heard the loud laughter coming from the other side of the bar. Though the bar was crowded and loud, the women's laughter stuck out the most, not as drunk and obnoxious, but he could tell that the women were enjoying themselves. He turned back to his friends, his face still amused.

Finn Rothschild came to this New York pub with his friends every Friday night to unwind form the labors of work and overbearing fathers. He was the heir to the Rothschild hotel chain, though they didn't own many in New York, seeing as Donald Trump had it covered. He now owned a few and it was his job to up keep them - all soberly.

Logan Huntzberger sat across from him, nursing a scotch, the heir to Huntzberger Media. He ran a newspaper, along with some magazines. Though he enjoyed newspaper business and anything that had to do with writing, he disliked his father for pushing him into it, instead of letting him pick it on his own, or giving him options, even though he knew the idea of options was ridiculous for the Huntzberger heir.

Colin McCrea sat between them nursing his whiskey. Colin, being one of the top lawyers in the Big Apple next to his father, had a stressful job. Not only did he deal with assholes all day, but he also had to deal with his clients. He worked in his father's firm as his partner. Though he enjoyed arguing in courtrooms and bartering for deals, he hated the stress.

"What do you think those girls are talking about?" Logan asked as they heard another round of laughter.

"I have no idea, but whatever it is, has got to be hilarious," Colin smirked.

"They seem to be enjoying themselves," Finn said looking back and catching a flash of a brown braid going over a girl's shoulder.

"They're probably old hags who can't get dates and are bashing the male race," Logan said downing the rest of his drink.

"Knowing that at the end of the night they go home alone and only have themselves to find pleasure." Colin said causing Finn to snort in laughter as Colin and Logan clicked glasses in agreement.

Finn watched as one of them stood up and started laughing as he turned back to the guys. "Looked like you pegged them wrong," he pointed over to the table. Logan and Colin looked and saw a brunette and a blonde stand up and laugh as they walked to the bar.

Finn drank the rest of the liquid in his glass as he stood up straightening his coat. "One of those women will not be going home alone tonight," he told them as he walked over to the bar. He leaned against the bar as they two women talked laughingly.

"Oh come on," the blonde said. "He didn't say that."

"I swear," the brunette said, turning to the bartender. "Another round of shots, a Cosmo and a Screwdriver," she ordered.

"You ladies sure can drink," Finn interjected as he ordered himself another Foster's.

"Yes, well, when winding down from the day from hell, you need all the drinks you can handle," the blonde said, causing the brunette to snort.

"My name is Finn and you are..."

"Lola St. James," the blonde replied with a smile, sticking out her hand to shake his, causing the brunette to laugh and thank the bartender for their drinks.

"And you?" Finn asked.

"Lorelai," she replied.

"Do you have a last name, Lorelai?"

"Gilmore," she smiled.

"Well, Lorelai, have you ever tried an Australian kiss? It's like a French kiss... only down under," he smirked.

Finn watched as Lorelai and Lola began to laugh.

"I can't believe we forgot that one," Lola laughed.

"We'll tell Paris," Lorelai laughed. She turned back to Finn and eyed him up and down. "You know, you're sort of cute."

"Only 'sort of', love?"

"Yeah, sort of. I've seen cuter, but I've seen worse," she laughed. She grabbed a cocktail napkin and stuck out her hand. "A guy like you has to have a pen."

"You're in luck," he told her handing her one from the inside of his coat. She laughed as she took it and wrote on the napkin.

"I'm from out of town," she said, "But give me a call sometime and we can definitely get together. Maybe you can show me that Australian kiss... come on, _Lola._"

Stephanie looked at the number as Rory handed it to Finn and walked away with the tray of drinks. They walked back to their table and sat down, taking their drinks.

"What took you so long?" Paris asked.

"Rory got hit on by a very sexy Australian man," Steph said causing Rory to blush. "Now I didn't get a good look at that number you gave him, but I know it wasn't yours or any of ours. So what was it?"

Rory laughed. "My mom told me about this number that girls and guys alike give out when they're being hit on and don't want to bite. It's called the Rejection Hotline. You give the person the number, they call and they get the very funny message about how they're being rejected, but get the hint. Me and mom memorized it."

"You gave him that number?" Paris asked.

"Yep, too bad I can't see his face when he calls," Rory laughed.

"You've never been so bold." Steph said.

"Shut up, _Lola_."

"Lola?" Paris asked. "Wow, if all this happens when you guys are getting drinks, I definitely want to go up with Rory next time."

Rory and Steph laughed as they told her what happened up at the bar.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

Finn walked back to the table smugly and sat down with his drink.

"So, what's the consensus, Mr. Rothschild?" Logan asked.

Finn slapped down the cocktail napkin with a smirk. "Got her number, didn't I?"

"This is a long distance number," Colin said looking at the area code on the napkin.

"Said she was from out of town," Finn shrugged. "I will definitely be calling her, that's for sure."

"Well, I got to say, Finn," Logan said, "You do have a way with women."

"I've read the player handbook well," Finn laughed as he stuffed the napkin in his pocket.

"Now, if only we could get women."

"She had friends," Finn said. "A Lola, and I think a Paris."

Logan shook his head. "See, this is why we're friends, 'cause you get the women with friends."

Finn laughed as he looked behind him at the table of girls who were laughing. Yep, he was definitely going to call her.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

**_AN:_** I was looking on my phone the other day and found the Rejection Hotline number. My friend gave it to me to listen to 'cause it's hilarious. So I listened to it the other day and I got to thinking... what if I used it in a story. So here it is. lol. Rejection Hotline does exist. Trust me, lol.

This is going to be a short fic, no more then five or six chapters. Just fluff and all that good stuff lol.

**_Please Go To My Blog For An Important Message!_**

Leave your comments!

Kassandra


	2. Intrigue

_**Part 2: Intrigue**_

Finn walked into his office with a sigh of relief as he closed the door behind him and leaned against it. If he never had to deal with the choice of menu for the week, while arguing with a temperamental cook with a meat cleverever again, it would be way too soon.

Locking the door behind him, he took off his coat and sat down behind his desk, happy to get off his feet, and started looking at the papers in front of him. He moved the expense sheets to reveal the cocktail napkin that he had taken with him to work to see if he would actually call.

It had been a week since he had gotten Lorelai's number and he couldn't help the hesitation he felt to call her and ask her out. Ignoring the feeling for the first time in a week, he picked up the phone and dialed the number on the napkin.

Leaning back in his chair, he listened to it ring, then listened to the message, first in confusion, then in great amusement. Hanging up the phone after the message ended he dialed Logan's number, putting the phone on speaker so he could gather his things.

"Huntzberger."

"Meet me at the Hard Rock," Finn said as he stuffed the number in his pocket.

"What?" Logan asked confused.

"Meet me at the Hard Rock Cafe in twenty minutes."

"One, we live in New York, you can't get anywhere in twenty minutes."

"Fine, an hour," Finn said rolling his eyes as he put on his coat.

"And two, I've already had my lunch break, Finn, I can't just leave work right now."

Finn frowned at the phone. "Don't you own the paper?"

"Yeah."

"So put on your coat, tell them you have a meeting to go to and meet me at the Hard Rock Cafe."

He heard Logan sigh. "Fine, but this better be good."

"Oh, it is," Finn said hanging up and pulling out his cell phone as he started leaving.

"Mr. Rothschild, did you need something?" His assistant asked.

"No, Shannon, I'm meeting a couple of friends for lunch, I'm not coming back for the day."

"What about your calls?" She asked nervously.

Finn sighed. "Just forward all calls to my cell phone, how 'bout that?"

"All right, I'll do that," Shannon nodded. Finn patted her shoulder as he left the hotel and grabbed a cab. He told the driver where he wanted to go as he dialed Colin's number.

"McCrea," Colin answered.

"Have you had lunch yet?"

"No, and I'm starving. My client held me in here till she got the settlement she wanted."

"Do you have any meetings now?"

"Just paper work," Colin answered.

"Then meet me at the Hard Rock Cafe in an hour."

"For?"

"Do we really need to have the conversation again?" Finn asked.

"Right, I'll be there." Finn hung up the phone and laughed. Oh, this would be good.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

Logan got out of the cab, paid the driver and walked into the Hard Rock, only to be met by Colin who was sitting on the red vinyl waiting seat.

"He called you too, huh?" Logan asked sitting next to him.

"Yep, and I'm starving," Colin said.

"What do you think this is about?"

"I don't know, but if this is to brag about him getting laid, I'm getting my food to go and going back to my office."

"There will be no going back to your office." They looked and saw Finn standing over them. "I swear this is good." He went over to the hostess and requested a table for three.

Logan and Colin stood up and followed Finn and the hostess to the table.

"Here are your menus. Your waiter will be with you in a minute," she said as she walked away.

They took off their coats and got comfortable as they grabbed their menus.

"So what's this about?" Logan asked as he scanned the hamburgers.

"Yeah, and did you have to chose this place?" Colin asked looking at the decor in disgust.

"Hey, you said you were hungry and I had already told Logan to meet me here."

"This couldn't wait until tonight when we usually meet up?" Logan asked.

"Yeah, I still have that mountain of paperwork at the office and if this is about some girl you fucked..."

"Will you listen to yourselves," Finn laughed, putting down his menu, having decided. "We were the ultimate playboys at Andover and now our conversations are about paperwork and meetings. What is wrong with this picture?"

Logan looked at Colin who looked shocked.

"Holy shit..." Colin muttered. "I'm turning into my father."

"Good for you, but can I take your orders?"

They looked up and saw the waitress looking down at them expectantly.

"Right," Finn said. They gave their orders as she dropped off their water glasses.

"Great, I'll be back with your drinks shortly," she said as she left.

"Now that we've got Colin realizing he's like his father, let's get down to why we're here," Finn said.

"Why are we here?" Logan asked.

The waitress brought their drinks, set them down quietly and left again.

"All right, we couldn't get together tonight because I have to go to dinner with my parents tonight. It's the monthly Rothschild get-together and all."

"Right," Colin agreed taking a drink of his coke. "So, what's so important that couldn't wait?"

"Well, you know how last week I got that girl's number?"

"Yeah. Um... Lorelai, right?" Logan asked.

"If that's her real name," Finn muttered.

"What?" Colin asked confused.

"Never mind," Finn waved off. "So, all week I've wanted to call her and ask her out."

"Once again, if this about you getting laid, it could have waited," Colin said.

"Will you stop talking and listen," Finn said glaring at his friend who smirked.

"Fine, tell your story."

"Thank you. So I was at work and I found her number on my desk, and I called."

"And you got a date?" Logan asked, not seeing the point of the story.

"No." He pulled out his phone and put it on speaker phone. "Just listen."

Logan and Colin frowned. "Fine."

He dialed the number and put the phone in the middle of the table so they could listen.

The phone rang, then they heard:

"Hello, this is not the person you are trying to call, you've reached the Rejection Hotline, provided by Rejection Unfortunately, the person who gave you this number did not want you to have their real number. We know this sucks, but don't be too devastated.

So why were you given this Rejection Hotline number? Maybe you're just not this person's type. Note: this could mean, boring, dumb, annoying, arrogant, or just a general weirdo.

Maybe you suffer from bad breath or body odor, or a nasty combination of the two. Maybe you give off that creepy overbearing psycho, stalker vibe. Maybe the idea of going out with you just seems as appealing as playing leap frog with unicorns.

Regardless of the reason, please take the hint, accept the fact that you've been rejected and get over it. Please do your best to forget about the person who gave you this number, because they've probably already forgotten about you.

Thanks for calling the Rejection Hotline number provided by closed the phone, while Logan and Colin laughed.

"Yeah, yeah," Finn muttered as he stuffed the phone in his pocket.

"Wait, wait, so the chick that you met at the bar gave you this number?" Colin laughed.

"Yes."

"So which one do you think you are?" Logan laughed. "Creepy overbearing psycho stalker? Or maybe it was the nasty combination of body odor and bad breath?"

"Shut up!"

"Oh, come on!" Colin laughed. "You can't tell us this story, make us listen to that message and not expect us to mock you for... what do you think, Logan? A few years?"

"No!" He scoffed. "Eternity is more like it."

Finn nodded. "Yeah, I know."

"So what are you going to do?" Logan laughed.

"I don't know," Finn shrugged. "Not going to stop me, that's for sure."

"But the message said to forget about her, man," Colin told him, chuckling. "It very clearly said to take the hint, she's probably already forgotten you."

"Doesn't matter," Finn said. "This message, it's only intrigued me, not turned me away. I'll find out everything there is to know about Lorelai Gilmore."

"If that's her real name," Logan repeated, looking at Colin as they fell into another fit of laughter, leaving Finn to lean back in the back of his seat smugly. He'd definitely find her and he'd get her real number this time.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

Rory printed out her article, happy to have finally finished it. Standing up she packed up her things and started walking to her boss's office to turn it in when she was cut off by one of her male coworkers.

"You know, I looked up beautiful in the dictionary and saw your picture next to the word."

Rory gave a laugh and rolled her eyes. "Really? 'Cause I looked up asshole the other day and found yours."

"Why are you like this? One date, that's all I ask."

"Rodney, the day you learn how to treat a woman is the day I will finally say yes."

"Oh come on, you don't have a boyfriend," Rodney said as they walked down the hall together.

"And how do you know?" Rory asked.

"Come on, all the pictures you have on your desk are of your mother and father and siblings. You have no person on your desk that is not family related."

"I'll have you know..."

Rodney raised an eyebrow as she began to talk, causing her to shut it.

"All right, I don't have a boyfriend," Rory said knocking on her boss's door.

"Come in," he called. They walked in still bickering.

"All I ask if for one date," Rodney said closing the door.

"And all I ask is for you to leave me alone." Rory laughed as she rolled her eyes.

"Still bugging you for a date, huh?" Her boss asked with a smirk as she put her article on his desk and flopped on one of the chairs in front of him, Rodney next to her.

"Yep, as much as I tell him to leave me alone, he's very persistent," Rory answered as she laid her feet on Rodney's legs.

"Well, you don't have a boyfriend," he pointed out.

"Thank you," Rodney laughed.

"You two are very mean to me," Rory pouted. She turned to her boss and smiled at him as he looked through her article. "So I saw you went out after your lunch break."

"Keeping tabs on me again, Hayden?"

"You know it, Huntzberger."

"Again?" Rodney asked confused.

"Old college thing," Logan waved off with a laugh.

"You two knew each other in college?" Rodney asked.

"Yeah, me and Logan worked on the paper together at Yale," Rory told him. "He was one of the many people who offered me a job here. I took it solely because I thought it'd be great to work for a friend rather than some asshole who would try to look up my skirt... much like you're doing now, you perv!" Rory said kicking Rodney's legs as she sat up and crossed her legs.

"Come on, Rodney, I really don't feel like having that sexual harassment meeting _again_," Logan told him as he put Rory's article in the edit pile of his work.

"Sorry, boss," Rodney laughed.

"So you didn't answer my question, where'd you go?" Rory asked Logan.

Logan shrugged, "Hard Rock Cafe, a friend of mine called and asked if he could talk to me and another friend."

"Anything important?" Rory asked curiously.

Logan shook his head as he began to chuckle. "No, but we went to a bar last week after work and a girl gave him her number, but when he called today, he got this message, from... god, what's the name," Logan said closing his eyes trying to think. "Rejection Hotline," he said snapping is fingers as he remembered.

Rory turned and looked at him. "Really?"

"Yeah, do you know about this?" Logan laughed.

"Yeah, my mom and me memorized it, my dad found it hilarious."

"What's Rejection Hotline?" Rodney asked.

"It's this phone number people give out when they want to reject someone without making a scene. When the person calls, they get sent to this recording of a guy telling you you've been rejected," Rory explained.

"Have you given a guy this number?" Rodney asked.

"Of course not," Rory lied, not wanting to mention the Australian who had accosted her last week.

"Well, my friend got this number at the bar last week and he says that it's not stopping him. He's going to find out everything he can about this girl."

Rory smiled. "Tell him to write to me, I might help him let this girl go," she laughed.

Rodney smiled. "I'll leave you two alone. You are starting to get flirty."

"Shut up, Rodney," Rory laughed.

"Hey, I have a pick up line for you," Rodney said stopping at the door. "One you won't have a response to."

Rory leaned her head back while Logan watched amused.

"Hit me," Rory said with a smile.

Rodney stood up straight and smirked at her. "If I could see you naked, I'd die happy."

Rory raised an eyebrow and turned in her seat smiling coyly at him. "Yeah, but if I saw you naked, I'd probably die laughing."

Logan snorted in laughter as Rodney mock-glared at her. "One day, Hayden," he vowed.

"Keep them coming," Rory laughed turning in her seat. She heard the door close and turned back to Logan. "So what do you think of a Hayden movie night tonight, or are you and the guys getting together?"

"Nah, family dinner and a date cancelled guys' night, so I'm free."

"Great," Rory said standing up. "My place, six thirty, bring the Cookie Dough."

Logan smiled as he nodded. "Just no chick flicks this time."

Rory shrugged. "I'm the instigator of movies nights, therefore I get to pick the movies."

Logan sighed. "Fine, but if I get stuck watching 'A Walk To Remember' again, I'm hiding your coffee."

"You only hate that movie 'cause it makes you cry," Rory teased opening the door.

"Out!" Logan ordered.

"See you at six thirty b_oss._" Rory said sticking out her tongue before walking out. Logan leaned back in his chair and smiled. Rory Hayden was going to be the death of him, but she was always good to have around.

She was probably the only girl that he considered a friend, and only a friend. There had been a bit of sexual attraction at the beginning of their friendship, but the more he got to know her, the more he realized that she could never be one of the girls in his conquest book, so he started looking at her as an annoying little sister that he loved very much.

A little sister that was going to die if she made him watch "A Walk To Remember" again.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

"How's your day been, Finn?"

Finn shifted in his seat as he looked at his mother. 'How was your day' in mum code meant 'Did you find yourself a nice girl that can marry into the family and give me that billion grandchildren I've been wanting.'

"Fine," he responded lightly.

"Have you meet any nice girls?" His father asked.

Finn frowned as he looked at his salad. He could feel his older sister's smirk as she looked at him. She was lucky, she was already married and had a kid on the way, so she wasn't under the parent radar anymore.

"Actually..." he started, hoping that his parents maybe knew the girl. Gilmore sounded like a society name, he could of sworn he'd heard it being thrown around once or twice.

"Really?" His mom asked interested as she leaned in. Becca looked shocked and his father smirked.

"Yeah, but I can't seem to find her and I was actually wondering if you knew her."

"A society girl? Finn, you never go for society girls," Becca pointed out.

"Well, times change. There was a time you didn't go for society guys," he argued causing her to look at her salad.

"What's her name, Finn?" His father asked.

"Lorelai Gilmore?" He stated in a form of a question. He watched his mother furrow her brow as she tilted her head in contemplation.

"Gilmore, there's Emily Gilmore," she said. "She has a daughter Lorelai, but she goes by Hayden, she's married to Christopher Hayden. They have three children," his mother said tapping her chin as if going through her mental filing cabinets, pulling out what she could. "An older son, a daughter about your age and a younger one."

"The daughter, what's her name?" Becca asked, now curious about the mystery woman.

"Lorelai, but everyone calls her... Rory. She goes by Rory Hayden."

Finn smirked and nodded. "Thanks, mum."

"You know, I believe she'll be at the masque ball at the Hilton in New York next week. I could get you together."

"No, mum," Finn smiled. "I think it'll be okay."

Rory Hayden. If he wasn't mistaken, that was the name of the advice columnist at the New York Times, a paper Logan happened to own.

"Huh," he muttered.

"What is it, son?" His father asked.

"Nothing, dad, just thinking," he answered eating his salad. If Rory worked at the New York Times, Logan had to know her. Oh, this just peaked his interest more and more.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

**_A.N:_** I'm glad you're all enjoying this story so much, I have to say that I enjoy writing it very much. Next chapter coming soon! Keep an eye out!

Reveiw!

Kassandra


	3. Advice Please?

_**Part 3: Advice Please?**_

"Come on, Rory!" Logan groaned as he saw the movie they were watching. "Why the hell do I have to sit through this idiotic movie when you're not sad or wallowing!"

"Because I like it!" Rory told him as she flopped down on the couch, propping her feet on his lap, "And because we are in my house..."

"Flat," Logan corrected instantly.

"And in my house..." Rory continued, only to have him correct her again.

"Flat."

"We see what I want and if that means watching 'A Walk to Remember' solely to see you cry, then so be it."

Logan gave a sigh, absently massaging her feet that rested on his legs as she started the movie.

"You know, a girl could get used to this," Rory commented as she took a drink of her beer.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" Logan asked.

"A girl and her best guy friend, drinking and watching movies while said guy friend massages the girl's feet," she laughed.

Logan looked down at his hands, quickly removing them from her feet and looking up at her smirking face, a smirk she learnt from him.

"If I didn't know you any better, Huntz, I'd think you'd have a crush on me."

"You wish, Hayden," Logan smirked back as he grabbed his own beer. "So you going to the ball on Friday?"

Rory sighed, "Yeah, Derek and Dad are going out of town and Ann is going to some birthday party slash sleepover, leaving mom alone, and she threatened my coffee supply if I did not show up at this insipid party, dressed to the nines, on Friday. But lucky me, Steph and Paris got roped into it also."

"And so did me and my friends," Logan told her tiredly. They all hated these parties, especially this one where they had to dress in sixteenth hundred apparel, which the girls tended to hate.

"It's parties like these that make me wish I was a guy," Rory told him, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah, why's that?" He asked clearly amused.

Rory got off the couch and went to her room, only to come out seconds later carrying a plastic bag that covered a very large classic sixteenth century dress hanging on a hanger.

"Because I have to wear this while you guys just wear tuxes with tails."

Logan looked at the dress with his head cocked. The dress itself was a light blue and had the classic look of an aristocrat of the sixteenth century, corset and everything.

"How do you walk in those things?" Logan asked as he saw the layers of petticoats poofing out. He cocked his head to the other side trying to see if he could understand the dress better from a different angle.

"Very carefully," Rory said going back to her room to hang the dress up.

"Look at it this way, Ace," Logan shouted towards her room, "This party is only once a year, and we only have to go every five."

Rory came back out glaring at him as she sat back down on the couch and made herself comfortable, with her feet in his lap once again.

"Don't try to make this party sound any better than it is, Logan, because you and I both know that this party gives a chance and a reason for the older society people to go back in time instead of moving forward."

"Yes," Logan said nodding and with his fingers to his chin. "Yes, I thought I heard bitterness in there."

Rory grabbed a pillow at her side and threw it at him, Logan caught it laughing. "Shut up and watch the movie," she told him, looking away pouting.

Logan turned and started watching as ordered, It was pointless anyway, half the movie had gone by while they had been talking. Just as he was about to voice his thoughts, _Players Holiday_ rang out through Rory's flat.

Logan smirked as he answered his phone. "Hey man."

"Hey!" Rory protested whacking him with a pillow. "You know the movie night rules! No phones!"

"Just a second," Logan said into the phone as he deflected her hits with the pillow. He grabbed it out of her hand. "You will allow me this phone call seeing as I let you talk to your mom for half an hour during my movies."

"But..." Rory started to protest. He glared at her telling her he wasn't in the mood to argue about something this stupid. She sighed as sat down with a pout.

Logan shook his head as he returned to his phone call. "Sorry, aren't you supposed to be at the dinner?"

"I left early, where are you?"

"Friend's house, we're watching movies, why?"

"Just wondering, I heard a female voice."

"Yeah, Rory, I'm at her flat."

"She's writes the Dear Rory column, right?"

"Yeah, but she's the advice columnist and writes other stuff too, once again why?"

"Her grandparents are Emily and Richard Gilmore, right?"

"Yeah, what's going on?" Logan frowned.

"Thanks, Logan," Finn said hanging up before Logan could put it all together. He stuffed his phone in his pocket and looked at the number on the napkin that sat on his coffee table.

So it had been Logan's girl friend that had given him the number. He and Colin had never met Rory, seeing as they had all gone to different colleges. Finn to University of Melbourne in Australia, Colin to Harvard and Logan to Yale. They had all made different friends, Rory being one of Logan's.

He talked about her a lot, and he and Colin both knew that Logan thought of her as a sister and nothing more and protected her as such, which is why they probably never got to meet her. Logan was afraid of them turning Rory into another one of their bedmates, and they all had a silent agreement to never really meet her personally.

And Finn had been fine with that, but now, now Finn had met her, liked her and had been sorely rejected by her. He had also become intrigued by her and she was going to be at the Masque Ball on Friday and he would make damn sure he got to talk to her.

He leaned back on his couch grabbing a pad and pen on the table next to it and smirked as he began to write.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

"Thank god you're finally here!" Lorelai Gilmore said as she walked as best she could over to Rory.

"Sorry I'm late," Rory said "I had trouble getting in my car, then out of my car. Thank god this is only once a year," Rory sighed as she fixed the light blue skirt around the petticoats that poofed around her waist, giving the dress the bell shape.

"Come on," Lorelai said pulling her daughter into the hotel.

"Wait, can you help me with my mask?" Rory asked as her as she held out the blue and gold half mask to her mom. Lorelai took it out of her hand and held it out to Rory's face, Rory held it in place as her mom tied it tightly under the elegantly twist in Rory's hair.

"Okay, let's go!" Lorelai said dragging Rory in.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

"So where is she?" Colin asked as adjusted his mask once again.

"She'll be here," Logan responded for the fifth time that hour.

Finn smirked. Logan was setting Colin up with one of his friends from Yale, the only thing was that she didn't know that he was setting her up.

Colin didn't trust Logan in his choice of women seeing as Logan was one of the biggest playboys in their group. So the fact that Logan had been so eager to fix him up was a little frightening and had Colin on edge while it amused the hell out of Finn.

"So do you think the girl that rejected Finn will be here?" Colin asked trying to get his mind off his blind date.

Logan shrugged. "Who knows?" He laughed. "I mean, how do we even know the name she gave Finn was her real one."

"Logan?"

They all turned and saw a blonde girl, about their age, standing there in a sixteenth century dress that was in different shades of pink, walking towards them, her blonde hair curling and bouncing with every step she took, as well as her other assets which Colin took great satisfaction of looking at.

"Steph?" Logan asked.

She stood in front of them with a smile and moved her mask up quickly to confirm his suspicions, then put it back as quickly, seeing as removing your mask before midnight was prohibited.

"Thank god I found you!" She said hugging him and kissing his cheek.

"Oh yeah, why's that?"

"Well..." she started biting the corner of her lip sheepishly.

"No," Logan said immediately.

"Please, for old times sake!" She begged. "My parents are trying to set me up with some forty-year-old oil tycoon. I need you as my doting boyfriend or do you really want forty-year-old oily hands touching this?" She said gesturing up and down towards her body. "'Cause let me tell you, at this rate, that's where it's going."

"Steph…" Logan grimaced.

"Please, Logan, I'll get you a date with Paris," she smirked.

Before Logan had a chance to protest that he did not in fact like Paris, Finn interrupted.

"Lola?"

"What?" The three of them asked in confusion as they looked at Finn.

"Yeah," he said with a smile and pointed a finger at her. "At the bar last week, you and the brunette Lorelai, you're Lola St James."

Steph's eyes widened as she lowered Finn's mask a little. "Oh my god, you're the Australian kiss guy," she whispered letting go. "We laughed at you the entire night."

"Wait," Logan interrupted before Finn could take offence. "You still use Lola St. James?" He asked confused.

"Well duh! When I get hit on at bars, I don't want freaks like him," she said pointing towards Finn, "Knowing my real name. No matter how cute or exotic they are," she amended after she saw his offended face.

"So wait..." Logan said covering his mouth to keep for laughing, "Are you telling me that Rory was the one that gave Finn the Rejection Hotline number?"

"Wait, little sister Rory?" Colin asked watching the scene amused.

Logan nodded. "We talked about it the other day too, she said she and her mom have that number memorized for fun. But she told me she had never given it out."

"Ha!" Steph scoffed. "Rory gives that number out like no other."

"Really?" Logan asked surprised.

Steph nodded. "Yeah, why do you think she never has boyfriends? It's her own way of telling the guy that if they're really interested, they'll find her. That's why she gives out the name..."

"Lorelai Gilmore," Logan muttered. "Then it's easier to find her."

"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner! Now are you going to pretend to be my boyfriend or not?" She asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"No, but Colin will."

"What?" Colin asked in surprise as Stephanie looked him over. She gave a small nod of satisfaction.

"What do you do, Colin?"

"What?" He choked.

"Your occupation, dimwit, what's your job?"

"I'm a lawyer, I work for my dad at McCrea and..."

"Good enough," she said waving a hand. "You're a McCrea, it'll please my parents and get oil man out of my life. Come along," she said grabbing him hand.

"Have fun, Colin," Logan said slapping his back as she dragged him away.

"Did you know about all this?" Finn asked.

Logan shook his head. "About the Steph thing, yeah, " he laughed. "Her parents are always trying to set her up with some old guy."

"No, about the Rory thing?"

"About her giving _you_ the number? No, like I said she told me she had never given it out," Logan shrugged. "You got to admit it's funny."

"Maybe to you," he muttered, wondering if what Steph said about Rory's way of finding a guy had some logic between them.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

"Yeah, why do you think she never has boyfriends? It's her own way of telling the guy that if they're really interested, they'll find her. That's why she gives out the name..."

Rory shook her head as she heard Stephanie say that and detoured towards the balcony and away from her friend. "Thanks, Steph," she muttered as she closed the door silently and breathed in the fresh air from the Hilton gardens.

"Hey, you okay?"

She turned around and saw Paris shedding her mask as she walked towards her.

"Yeah, peachy keen."

"Are you drunk, 'cause I can't deal with you drunk," Paris told her as she leaned on the railing of the balcony next to Rory.

"No, I'm not drunk," Rory said with a roll of her eyes.

"Then what's wrong? I saw you walking towards Steph and Logan, then walk away."

"I don't know," Rory shrugged. "Lately the fact that I don't have a boyfriend has been bugging people."

"What?" Paris asked confused.

"At work, I have a friend Rodney who pointed out that I didn't have a boyfriend, Logan pointed it out later that day, then my mom during one of our phone calls. My grandparents are wondering why I don't find myself some suitable guy and start giving them great-grandchildren. And now Steph is pointing out the whole Rejection Hotline thing."

"Well..."

Rory turned to her. "What?"

Paris shrugged. "You never keep a guy for more than two weeks, and you don't date much to begin with, we're all starting to wonder if..."

Rory frowned. "If what?"

"If you've given up on men all together."

Rory gaped at her friend and turned forward before facing her again. "Not that there's anything wrong with being gay, but I'm all for men, thank you very much."

"Come on, Rory, for a girl who fixes other people's relationships for a living, you sure can't get your own love life together."

"You should follow your own advice, Paris, and get your own love life together. Oh wait..." she said putting a hand to her cheek and feigning innocence, causing Paris to straighten and glare at her. "Logan doesn't even know you like him, does he?"

"You're acting like a real bitch, Rory."

"Yeah, and so are you," Rory told her as she turned around and leaned against the balcony once more.

"This is what I get when I try to help people," Paris muttered as she tied her mask back on and went back inside the party. Rory shook her head in disgust.

She shouldn't have talked to Paris that way and should have never thrown her feelings towards Logan back at her when she had told her all that in confidence. She was just pissed about people wanting her to have a boyfriend. She prided herself on being a family girl, hanging out with her older brother and younger sister rather than spending every free moment she had with a guy that probably only wanted her for a good fuck.

She shook her head and scoffed. Paris was right, she was an advice columnist, helping others with their own love issues from sex to crushes, and she couldn't even get her own love life together.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" She muttered.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

Paris stalked up to Logan who was talking to some guy in a black and white mask that was the costume colors for all the guys to wear. She stepped in front of him and scowled.

"Geller, always a pleasure to see you," Logan said sarcastically.

She glared at him. "She's your best friend, you talk to her."

"Who the hell are you talking about?" Logan asked irritated.

"Rory!" She said as annoyed. "She's in this bad mood because everyone's pushing a boyfriend on her, including you, and she heard Stephanie talking to you about something, and god, she's annoying when she's pissed."

"When did I ever push a boyfriend on her?" Logan asked confused at the topic of the conversation.

"I don't know, something about you and her friend Rodney teasing her about her lack of a boyfriend."

"We always do that though, she does the usual pout and teases us back"

"And you should know it's a goddamn mask." She turned to leave, only to walk back and glare at him. "By the way, I like you."

Logan closed his eyes and looked back up at her "What?"

"Yeah, that's right. Ever since Rory introduced us in college, I've liked you. I did the whole girl swoon thing and kept it a secret, and now that Rory has me pissed it's out. I, Paris Geller, like you, Logan Huntzberger, happy?" She asked as she stalked away.

"Did she just…" Logan asked.

Finn coughed out a laugh and nodded. "Yeah, she did."

Logan frowned before he left Finn without another word. Finn watched as Logan went the same way Paris had. Good, he had seen Paris come from the balcony which meant that Rory was probably out there. Making her way out as slyly as he could, he opened the door, slipped out and closed it silently behind him.

Her dress poofed out around her as she stood with her back to him, leaning against the railing. From what he could see, her hair was in a elegant twist, with stray curls framing her face, and a blue ribbon that probably held her mask up. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked over and stood a good distance away from her, looking out at the gardens.

Time to put his plan into action.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

Rory ignored the presence of the other person. It was probably Logan, sent by Paris to talk to her. She continued to look out at the gardens when she felt the person stand next to her. The reporter in her turned to look and found that it wasn't Logan, but a tall and tan guy standing next to her in a tux with tails and the black and white mask that all the guys wore.

She had to say that this guy was cute. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets as he looked out. Just as she was about to turn away from him, he turned to her, gave her a smile and a wink and left, taking his hands out of his pockets.

She saw something fall from his hand, hoping he would notice she didn't pick it up. But when he kept walking, she went over, picked up the little triangle of paper and was about to call out to him, when she saw her name scrawled on the top.

She looked up and saw that the man had disappeared from view. Biting her lip, she contemplated her three choices;

One, open the letter and find out what it said;

Two, go back to the party, find Logan and tell him about the cute yet freaky man who knew her name

Or three, go home, get in her pajamas, put on _A Knight's Tale_ to start off a Heath Ledger movie marathon and get her pals Ben and Jerry to accompany her.

"Damn," she cursed as the reporter in her got the best of her and she leaned back against the railing, opening the letter.

The letter was folded in those old ways in high school when girls passed notes and guys played paper football, in a small triangle with a little flap tucked into an opening perfectly to shape the triangle.

"Must have gotten a lot of practice making them," she muttered as she untucked the flap and started the ritual of unfolding the paper. When she finally got it all unfolded, she saw the neat writing on the page and frowned at the beginning.

_Dear Rory,_

Was this guy serious, was he really asking her for advice at a Masque party? How the hell did he even know who she was?

She sighed and continued reading, wanting to know what this guy wanted and if she felt the need to help or rule him as a psycho and ignore his plea for help and go home with Ben and Jerry.

_Dear Rory,_

_I was at a bar last week,_

"Great opening, pal," Rory muttered.

_And saw this very pretty woman standing at the bar with who I assumed was a friend. I left my friends to go ask her out. And though my method was somewhat unorthodox, I thought she had taken quite a liking to me, as most women do, and given me her number._

"Narcissistic much," she said to herself.

_I was somewhat hesitant to call her as I could feel that this was different from all the other girls I had been with. You see, in college I had quite a reputation with the ladies and had never found that right someone. And with this girl, I felt that she was more than a one night stand._

"Man whore," she coughed into her hand as she kept reading.

_When I finally did call her the other day, it turned out that she gave me a number, not just a fake number, but a number that took me to a hotline number, Rejection Hotline, in fact._

Rory frowned. "What the hell?"

_Now I told my friends about this and while they laughed and will continue laughing, I got to say that this number hasn't stopped me in chasing after this girl. In the little that I know about her, she seems to be my type of girl and I was hoping you would help me find her._

_If so, meet me at the fountain at the center of the Hilton gardens at ten thirty._

_Tall, Dark and Australian._

Rory looked at the small silver watch on her wrist and saw it was already ten twenty five. Biting her lip she looked through the balcony windows before turning and walking down the stone steps towards the fountain.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_


	4. Three Different Stories

_**Part 4: Three Different Stories**_

"Paris!" Logan shouted as he saw her stalking her way through the maze in the Hilton gardens. He ran after her before she got to the entrance, knowing that if she got in, he would never find her and she would probably never find her way out. "Paris! For the love of god stop!" He yelled as he grabbed her wrist right outside of the entrance.

"Why?" She asked pulling her wrist away as he caught his breath. "So that you can tell me how stupid it is that I've liked you for five years and never told you? So that you can tease me mercilessly like you've done to all the other ugly little girls when they tell you."

"Come on, Paris, that was college."

"And it hurt in college just like it hurts now, Logan! Just like it hurt in high school and in elementary school!"

"Paris…" he began, only to have her shake her head.

"No! Have you ever once looked at the faces of the girls that you've rejected, Logan? Have you ever once put yourselves one of those girls' shoes and felt what they felt? That 'not-worth-your-time' feeling? Because let me tell you, I've felt that plenty whenever I'm with you."

Logan shook his head. "Wait, you tell me you like me, but that I make you feel bad about yourself? That makes no sense."

"I'm a girl!" She yelled at him. "I'm not supposed to make sense! Have you not learned nothing from all those bimbos you've slept with?"

"Wow, now I know you're pissed, 'cause you would never stoop so low," he muttered. Paris had changed a lot in the years after college, she wasn't as neurotic and mean as she had been, she tried to help and talk to people instead of shoving their flaws in their face. Unless she was mad, then the old Paris came out.

"You have no idea how it felt all those years watching you with those girls, Logan, and you have no idea how many times I've kicked myself when I wished it was me on your arm."

He looked at her in shock, not even the new Paris would want to be part of his arm candy. "I never..."

"I told Rory and Steph not to tell you. I sort of bribed them into it. Rory's told me million of times to tell you, and Steph's even told me a few times, but I've never really considered it," she scoffed. "I mean really, why would you even consider being with me? I'm a neurotic freak who pushes people to do their bidding, and whose head looks huge when I wear pink."

"Want to know a secret, Paris?"

"Not really," she said with a roll of her eyes as she looked behind her towards the maze.

"The reason Rory and Steph kept telling you to tell me how you felt is the same reason they told me to tell you."

Paris closed her eyes at the tongue twister he had just formed. "What?"

"I like you, Paris. God only knows why, but I like you. And I should probably tell you now, since we're being all honest and shit, that I've liked you since we met."

Paris's eyes widened. "What?"

"Dammit, Paris!" He grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I like you too," he said before he swooped down and kissed her.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

"Okay, so my parents' names are Amanda and Rupert, I have a younger sister Jenny, and an even younger brother who is somewhat of a scandal child 'cause he's the product of my mom's affair with the pool boy, so no one mentions him," Steph explained as they made their way over to her parents and oily hands guy.

"Right," Colin said trying to process the information she was shooting at him.

"We've been dating two months, you can fill in whatever blanks you want for our first date, but it cannot involve pizza and a movie in my apartment which is what I would rather be doing on any date," she told him as they reached her parents.

"Stephanie, there you are. I thought you had gotten lost trying to find your _boyfriend_," Amanda Merdock said, knowing very well that her daughter had boys pose as her boyfriends to get out of whatever arrangement herself and her husband set up.

"Well, they're all wearing masks, mother, I've only found him now, talking to some friends."

"Well, aren't you going to introduce us?" Rupert asked.

"Mom, dad, this is Colin McCrea, Colin, this is my mom, dad and Mr. Richards, the oil tycoon."

"Nice to meet you all, Steph has told me all about you," Colin said, thinking that by shortening her name it might come off as an endearment.

"Really? Tell me, Colin, how long have you and my daughter been dating?" Amanda asked.

"Ten weeks next Friday," Colin answered easily, adding an extra couple of weeks.

"Really? Stephanie has told us nothing about you in those ten weeks that she's been over at our house for dinner," Rupert said throwing him a curveball.

"We decided to keep it somewhat low key. I mean, what with being who we are, had the media gotten hold of it… Well, we didn't want to cause trouble with our families."

"How did you meet?" This was Mr. Richards. Steph had been right, he did have oily hands and hair.

"Mutual friend," Colin said thinking of Logan and how much pain he was going to be in for throwing him into the lion's den. "Steph knew him in college and dated him for a while. You might know him, Logan Huntzberger."

"We do know him very well. My daughter and him happen to have an on and off relationship," Rupert told him.

"So I've heard," Colin said, "And witnessed. I'm just lucky to have gotten Steph to give me a chance."

"Tell me, Colin, what did you do on your first date?" Amanda asked.

Steph winced. This was usually when the guys struck out and the parents ignored them for the remainder of the evening. Then again, they usually said dinner and a movie, and that they had left the next morning very happy. Men were such pigs, she thought. Hopefully Colin was better than most guys.

"We went out to dinner to a quiet restaurant in New York, quite exclusive, and talked. Then I took her to _'The Producers'_. Classic yet light for a first date."

Steph looked at him in shock, it had been perfect. How the hell had he known what to say?

Rupert examined the man before giving a nod. "It was good to meet you, Mr. McCrea."

"Please, it's Colin. And it was nice to meet you too, Mr. Merdock."

"Rupert," he said before he walked away with Mr. Richards who glared at him.

Amanda smiled. "You found yourself a good one, Stephanie. I hope to see more of him." She smiled at Colin before walking away after her husband.

"That was amazing," Steph breathed as she turned to Colin. "Not even Logan can call my dad by his first name, and I've been using him for years."

Colin shrugged "It's an art."

"Apparently," Steph smiled.

"So would you like to dance?" Colin asked, pointing towards the dance floor.

Steph smile. "On one condition."

"Oh yeah, what's that?"

"I want that first date," she said grabbing his hand and leading him to the dance floor.

"I think that can be arranged," Colin smirked as he eagerly followed.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

Rory saw him with his back to her, watching water of the fountain that was spilling over the edges of levels into the bottom pool. He turned when he heard her heels clicking on the cobblestones.

"I see you've come to help," he stated as he turned fully to her.

"I just have one question," she told him crossing her arms.

"Shoot."

"What makes you think that a twenty-four-year old advice columnist who can't even get her own love life together can help you in your search for a girl that's not even interested in you?"

"You see, the help I need is just you answering a few of my questions," he smirked.

"But the letter said..."

"Mrs. Hayden," he interrupted, "Where were you last Friday?"

Rory frowned. "What does that have anything to do with me helping you find the girl?"

"Just answer the question," he said.

"Well, it's none of your business," she told him.

"Please answer the question," he said.

She bit her lip knowing that the helpful person in her wouldn't let this guy go. "I was at a pub. I usually go down there on Fridays with my friends to unwind from the week."

"Did you happen to get hit on that day?" He asked.

Rory frowned. "How did you know..."

"Was that man, say, handsome?" Finn asked before she could finish her sentence.

Rory nodded. "Yeah, he was," she said confused as he began circling her.

"Did you happen to like this man?"

"Are you a cop or something?"

"Answer the question please," he said stopping in front of her.

Rory glared at him before answering. "I didn't talk to him long enough to really get to know him. He gave me and my friend a very lame pick up line, that sort of turned me off from him."

"And did you give him your number?"

"No, I gave him..." Rory frowned, looked down at the letter and reread it before looking back up at his smiling face.

"Surprise." He said softly with a smirk.

"You're the Australian kiss guy?"

"Shocked?"

"How did you...?"

"I somewhat put it together," he told her. "Like I said in the letter, that number only made me want to try harder, so I asked my mum if she knew a Lorelai Gilmore. And she told me that they had a daughter, my age, that went by Hayden. Logan is one of my best mates, I remembered he had a friend by the name of Rory, also that she was his advice columnist."

"That was you who called the other night," she said.

Finn nodded. "I just wanted to get the last bits and pieces together. I knew you were going to be here, so I wrote the letter, hoping that you'd open it and meet me."

"You really went through all that trouble to meet me?" She asked half in fascination and half in fear that he was some kind of stalker.

He shrugged. "Like I said, you somewhat caught my attention. You're not like most girls. I've heard a lot of good things about you from Logan and though he's usually annoyed by you, he says you're a wonderful person, and an even better one to have on your side."

Rory nodded. "Yeah, I guess, but I'm not much for boyfriends."

"You're not..."

"No," she said with a roll of her eyes, "I'm not gay." She sat down on a stone bench that stood next to them and sighed.

He walked over and kneeled in front of her. "Then don't look at me as a boyfriend."

"I don't do one night stands either," she said looking at his eyes through the mask.

"I didn't ask for that either," he said. They looked into each other's mask covered eyes as Rory sighed.

"I don't know you," she said. "God, I met you once, at a bar."

Finn shrugged. "So?"

"So?" She asked. "So? That's not exactly the story I want to tell the grandchildren."

He smirked. "I wasn't really looking for marriage, Rory, I was just looking for a date."

Rory glared at him. "Why me?"

He shrugged. "Like I said, you're not like the other girls."

"You didn't even talk to me. That girl you met at the bar, that's not me."

"I know," he said. "But when I figured out who you were, I remembered all the good things Logan told me about you. How you have a very close bond with your family, you'd do anything for them…"

Rory nodded. "That's true."

"How you hate society parties, even though you were born into this life, how when you go home almost every weekend, you make sure to read your little sister a story and tuck her in at night."

"Logan told you about that?" She asked quietly.

He nodded. "He also told me about when you were in college, you volunteered at the school and tutored the special needs students, that you have the patience of a saint which worked for him because it was usually you who had to deal with him when he was drunk."

Rory laughed. "Yeah, not many people can deal with a really drunk Logan," she said, remembering that even if he knew it was her helping her, his hands would wonder.

"He told me that the first time you helped him, you dropped him when he touched your butt."

"It caught me by surprise," she argued. "I helped him up and let him crash on my couch."

"You also opened the blinds on him in the morning, letting the sun hit his eyes."

"I was annoyed," she shook her head. "This doesn't mean anything," she told him. "So what, you know a few stories about me. Everyone knows about the first time I helped Logan, my mom reminds him of it every time they get together. Anyone close to me knows that I'm a family person which is why I haven't had a boyfriend in years, because they can't deal with me always wanting my family around."

"Rory..."

"This isn't fair, you knowing everything about me, and me knowing nothing about you. Hell, I don't even know your..."

"Finn," he said, "My name is Finn."

Rory sat and looked at him as he reached up and touched her cheek.

"I'm only asking for one date." His thumb moved to trace the bottom of her mask.

Rory stared at him, just as the clock struck midnight.

Finn smirk as his hands wondered to the back of her mask and found the end of the ribbons to take it off. "What do you say, Cinderella? Are you going to run back to your pumpkin carriage or are you going to let me see who you are?"

Rory bit her lip as a small smile made its way to her face. "I always hated that she ran and didn't let him see the real her," she whispered.

Finn smiled as he tugged on the strings, unraveling the knot and letting the mask fall from her face and into her lap. He looked at her pale skin that reflected off the moonlight and the bright blue eyes that shone.

"What about you, Prince Charming, you going to let me see who you are?"

Finn smirked as he took her hands in his, leading them to the back of his head, letting her untie the black ribbons that held his own mask to his face. She tugged on the strings and let the mask clatter to the ground.

Rory rested her hands lazily around his neck as she smiled at him. "I was right."

"About what?" He asked.

"You are sort of cute," she laughed.

He smirked. "And I was right."

"About?"

"You're kind of hot."

She laughed as he smirked, touching her cheek and slowly bringing her down to his level. She sobered quickly as their faces inched together and he slowly brushed her lips with his. She felt a tingle shoot down her spine as their lips met, making her pull back slightly and smile at him.

"How close is your apartment?" She whispered, her eyes closed.

Finn smirked. "About ten minutes."

"Looks like we're going to your place then," she said standing up and starting to walk away.

"Rory," he called stopping her and making her turn around. "This, me meeting you, it wasn't to get you into bed."

Rory smiled. "Who said anything about me going to bed with you, we're having our first date."

Finn frowned as she held out her hand with a smile.

"Are you in?" She asked, a bit mischievously.

Finn continued to stare at her, as he took her hand and let her lead him away.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

**_AN:_** I know it's short, but I have it this way for a reason and it all has to do with the next chapter.

It's only about two more chapters after this... I think. I know that it's coming to an end.

If any of you have an idea as to what Rory has planned for a first date, leave it in a review.

I'm going to love writing the next chapter! hehehe.

Leave your reviews!

Kassandra


	5. A Series of Morning Afters

_**Part 5: A Series of Morning Afters**_

Steph groaned when she felt sun hit her eyes. Rolling over she hit something solid. She usually kicked everything on her bed off as she slept, so what the hell was in her bed this morning? Opening her eyes slowly, she came face to face with a very well toned chest.

She frowned. Since when did she have that in her bed. Now that she thought about it, the mattress under her didn't even feel like hers, hers was more springy while this was firm. She moved her eyes from the chest, upwards, only to come face to face with a sleeping man.

"Oh shit," she whispered as she carefully rolled out of bed and saw her petticoats scattered around the floor, along with her dress and corset. Grabbing a shirt from the floor that belonged to Colin, she grabbed her phone and tiptoed out of the room, trying not to wake the sleeping man.

She sat down on the floor in the middle of his living room and dialed the first number that came to mind, Paris.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

Paris awoke with a start, shooting out of bed and looking next to her with a wince.

"Shit," she muttered. "Shit, shit, shit."

She wasn't supposed to sleep with Logan. He was never supposed to know what she felt for him. It didn't matter that he liked her back, he was never supposed to know. "Shit."

She grabbed a shirt from the floor which happened to be Logan's dress shirt from last night and buttoned it up. Just as she was about to leave the room and go into the living room to start analyzing, her phone started to ring the tune to _Barbie Girl_. Diving for the phone before Logan woke up, she answered quietly.

"Hello?" She looked over at Logan who groaned and rolled over. She gave a sigh of relief as she left the room.

"Paris?"

"Steph," she said, already knowing it was her by the personalized ring tune.

"I made a big mistake last night," Stephanie told her.

"Same here," Paris said as she walked into the kitchen and sat down on one of the stools.

"I slept with Colin."

"Who the hell is Colin?" Pairs asked.

"One of Logan's friends."

"I think I have you beat, Steph," Paris whispered.

"Why?"

"Because I slept with Logan," Paris said.

"YOU WHAT!" Paris winced as she held the phone away from her ear. Putting it back, she heard Steph mutter "Shit."

"You know who would be able to help us?" Paris asked.

"Rory," Steph said automatically.

"I'll call her and get her on three way," Paris told her as she began dialing.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

Rory stumbled out of bed less than gracefully as she put on the closest thing, which happened to be a dress shirt, and sneaked out of the room. She saw the remains of last night's date, including their clothes, and winced.

That was not supposed to happen, she thought as she sat down on the couch and put her head in her hands.

The evening had started off fine when she had left the party with Finn. They had stopped at a nearby grocery store, enjoying the looks they got when they walked in, with sixteenth hundred apparel. They had gotten large amounts of junk food and even more amounts of alcohol.

Rory opened her eyes and saw the liquor bottles littering the floor.

"This is bad," she whispered, "Very bad." She hid her face again, only looking up suddenly when she heard her phone ring. Standing up she looked around the living room for her purse, only finding it under the couch. She took it out, taking out the phone and answering it quietly.

"Hello?"

"Rory?" She heard two voices echo.

"Paris? Steph?"

"You're on three way, sweetie," Steph told her.

"Why are you guys up this early?" Rory asked nervously as she wondered around the apartment, only remembering that Finn lived in the penthouse suite of the Rothschild Hotel.

"We could ask you the same thing." She could hear Paris smirk over the phone.

"But you won't," she said finding the kitchen and going in. She started opening the cabinets looking for coffee.

"It's just, me and Paris both woke up in..."

Rory frowned and stopped her search. "Did you guys wake up in different places too?"

"Too?" Steph asked.

"Where did you wake up?" Paris asked.

"That's none of your business," Rory said continuing her search. She opened the cabinet to find boxes upon boxes of tea. But no coffee.

"Is it possible that he doesn't have coffee?" She asked, dread filling her voice.

"Who?" Steph and Paris asked. Rory sighed as she leaned against the counter.

"I'll tell you if you tell me," Rory said.

Paris looked around the apartment biting her lip. "Promise you won't freak out, 'cause if you freak out, then I'm bound to freak out more than I am and then..."

"Paris, just tell me," she heard Rory say.

"I'm at Logan's."

Rory let her mouth drop as she let the information process. "What?"

"Um... last night, after you got mad at me, I got pissed and went to Logan to get him to talk to you."

"Wait," Steph said cutting in, "why were you mad?"

"Because Rory yelled at me," Paris said exasperated.

"No, you idiot, why was Rory mad?"

"I had reasons," Rory said in a tone that meant to drop the subject. "Keep going." Silence filled the line. Rory frowned. "Paris, keep going."

"Oh, I thought you meant Steph. God, I hate three way," Paris muttered. "So, when I told Logan that you were outside, I also let him know that I liked him."

"Oh my god!" Steph squealed, then muttered a curse as she heard the loudness of her squeal. "I really hate not knowing if he's a light sleeper or not."

"We'll get to you later," Rory smiled. "I want to hear the rest of Paris's story."

Paris continued her story. "He came after me, and after a much heated conversation I found out he liked me, we kissed, one thing led to another and we somehow ended up at his apartment, in his bed."

"Oh Paris!" Rory smiled. "This is so great!"

"No! No, it's not!" Paris said fiercely. "He wasn't supposed to know!"

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

Logan pried his eyes open when he felt his bed empty. Sitting up slowly, he ran a hand through his hair and looked around to see that Paris was indeed out of bed. She had always been an early riser.

He swung his feet out of bed and pulled on some boxers before walking over to his door and opening it slightly when he heard voices coming from the living room.

"He wasn't supposed to know!" He heard Paris yell. Then there was a pause where she gave a frustrated growl. "Don't you dare start with me, Hayden, you know as well as I do that Logan Huntzberger has no business with me."

Logan frowned. When the hell was she going to get over her insecurities and just believe that he did, in fact, like her.

"Shut up, Steph! I'm not insecure!"

He smirked. Apparently the girls had it handled. He closed the door, letting Paris get back to her phone conversation. She had to come back to the room anyway, he had her panties and clothes. With another smirk, he laid back down and closed his eyes, deciding that the phone call could last a while.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

Rory scoffed. "Yeah right, what's with this whole 'Logan doesn't belong with me' bullshit, you are so much better than any of those other sluts he's been with," she said hopping on the counter, still sore about the lack of coffee.

"So I'm a slut now?" Paris asked defensively.

"You're taking what she said out of context, Paris," Steph told her. "She said you were so much better than them. Come on, Paris, give him a chance. He's liked you for five years, you've liked him for five years, sex was inevitable."

"Ok, now I sound like a slut."

Rory rolled her eyes. "Paris, breathe. What Steph means to say is that you and Logan getting together is good. I mean, you guys are cute together."

"So that's what I suppose this entire relationship is based on, that me and him look cute together."

"And the fact that the sex has got to be amazing," Steph muttered.

"Steph!" Rory admonished, "So not helping."

"Sorry."

"Look," Rory said. "What are the good things you like about Logan?"

"What kind of dumbass question is that?" Paris asked frustrated.

"A good one, now answer," Rory ordered.

Paris sighed as she sat on the couch and thought. "He has this odd sense of humor when he's around me, that only I understand."

"All right," Rory said with a nod. "What else?"

"How when you first see him, how he assesses you and everybody around you as if to see if you were okay or upset. How when he first meets someone, he knows instantly if they're a bad or good person to be around, and you trust his instinct."

"Take that last one," Rory said calmly, trying not to ruin Paris's peace of mind, "And apply it to yourself."

Paris sighed. "But what about all the other girls he's slept with," she whispered.

Steph gave a small laugh. "Did you ever notice any of those girls hang around him for long, Paris? Have you ever noticed, how even when he brought one of his blondes, to the pub with us, he'd still only look at you?"

"No," Paris muttered.

"Well, he did," Rory told her.

Paris stood up from the couch, walked silently through the apartment, opened the door silently and looked in at Logan's sleeping form. With a sigh she whispered. "Fine, but he screws this up and I never look at him again."

"That's the Paris we know and love!" Steph said loudly, then winced at the sound of her voice again and looked down the hallway where she had yet to hear Colin stir.

Paris walked into the room closing the door quietly, and sat down on the bed. She pushed the hair out of his eyes, only to have him open them slowly and look at her.

"Morning."

"Morning," she whispered.

"You okay?"

Paris nodded as she kissed him lightly. "I'm good."

"Good."

"I'm going out to the living room to talk, all right?"

"No, stay, I'm going to go make coffee, I'll be back in a minute," Logan told her as he got out of bed and left the room.

Smiling into the phone she started the conversation again "Now that my crisis is over, we can move on to one of you. I vote for Steph."

"I vote Rory!" Steph said immediately.

"Well, my turn now and I vote you, Steph. Where did you wake up this morning?"

Steph groaned. "I have no idea," she muttered.

Paris and Rory laughed as they heard the distress in her voice.

"Do you even know who you slept with?" Rory asked.

"One of Logan's friends," Paris answered.

"Hey!" Steph said.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," Paris laughed.

"So who is this friend?" Rory asked curiously seeing as she had the other friend in the other room.

"His name is Colin," she sighed. "He posed as my fake boyfriend and he made our relationship sound so good that, well, it's hard not to fall for him."

Rory smiled. "Do you like him?"

"I don't know him!"

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

Colin groaned as he heard someone talking loudly in the living room, rolling over, he threw his arm over where a female body was supposed to be. Opening his eyes and moving his hand over the empty space, he placed the loud talking with the girl that was supposed to be there, in the living room.

Rolling out of bed, he grabbed his boxers from the floor and pulled them on. He opened the door slightly to see the blonde pacing the living room in his dress shirt.

"Now you're making me sound like a slut." She stopped and glared at nothing in particular. "This isn't funny, Rory!" She started her pacing again, growling a couple of times. "Can't you do that mind thing you did for Paris? Where she realizes that this whole thing wasn't a mistake? What do you mean it won't work for me!"

Colin bit the inside of his lip to keep from laughing. He knew sleeping with her was a little rash on his part, but she had been the one who suggested it and who was he to deny a woman her request.

"So what if I was the one who suggested that we have sex! It doesn't change the fact that I barely know him!"

Colin smirked and closed the door. Whoever was talking to her on the other side, had it covered. Knowing he wouldn't be getting back to sleep now, he grabbed his briefcase from the floor where he threw it before the party last night, and opened it on his bed. Putting on his glasses, he started looking over some of his cases.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

"Come on, Steph," Paris said, "This has happened to you before." She took the coffee mug that Logan offered her and leaned against him once he made himself comfortable on the bed.

"Yeah, but that was college me. I was hoping that adult me would have grown out of waking up in strange places with guys."

"The only difference now is that you know the guy, in college you didn't," Rory told her.

"All right, now I know that made me sound like a slut," Steph said stopping mid-pace.

"Steph, what attracted you to this guy last night?" Rory asked, the advice columnist in her coming out.

Steph shrugged. "He was just great. He made our relationship sound so perfect. I guess, I mean you should have heard what he said we did for our first date, and he's an amazing dancer. He's somewhat stuck up, but it's an endearing quality instead of annoying."

"Regretting last night now?" Paris asked as Steph somewhat got calmer.

"Not really," Steph said opening the door to the room. She saw him sitting on the bed Indian style, with papers scattered all over the bed. A little frown covered his forehead as he looked at some papers and pushed his glasses up. "He's a little geeky too," she said biting her lip as he looked up.

"Morning," he said.

"Morning, I'm just going to finish talking to my friends."

"You won't bug me," he told her. "You can talk in here."

"You sure?" She asked.

"GO IN!" Rory and Paris both shouted. Logan looked at Paris who was looking excited about the phone call.

"All right, all right. I'm going, jeez, no need to shout," she muttered as she walked in and closed the door behind her. She crawled into the bed beside him and leaned against the headrest. He leaned over and kissed her lightly. She smiled at him.

"Yeah, I'm okay now," she said into the phone as he looked back at the papers. "Now that me and Paris are done, Rory..."

Rory sighed as she heard her name through the mouthpiece.

"Come on, Rory!" Paris said. "It's your turn!"

"But I'm not freaking out over who I slept with," she lied, not wanting to admit that she was a little afraid that she had slept with Finn after remeeting him last night.

"All right then, who did you sleep with?" Steph asked. Then frowned. "Wait, what were you upset about last night?"

Rory sighed. "I heard you talking to Logan about some things."

Steph frowned as she sat up. "What did you hear me say?"

"The whole me not having boyfriends thing and the Rejection Hotline thing."

"Oh god," she muttered causing Colin to look at her worriedly.

"You okay?" He asked quietly.

She nodded as she turned back to her phone call. "Rory, I'm so sorry."

"No, it's okay. I sort of went outside and thought about things. That's when Paris came out."

"And you bit my head off."

"I'm sorry for being such a bitch last night," she said quietly "I just... I don't know."

"So what happened?"

"Long story short, I slept with one of Logan's friends too," Rory said.

Paris looked at Logan who was flipping through the channels of the TV he had in his room.

"Your friends sure do get around."

He looked at her confused.

"So which one are you with?" Steph asked. "'Cause I'm with one right... oh my god!"

"What?" Paris, Rory and Colin asked.

"You're with Australian kiss guy!" Steph accused.

Rory groaned as she put her head in her hand. "Yes."

"Wait," Paris asked with a laugh, "Is this the guy that hit on Rory at the bar last week?"

"Finn?" Logan asked, putting the information together with what he had found out the night before.

Steph turned to Colin. "Hey Colin?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you have a friend named Finn?"

"Yeah," he said looking up. "Remember, he was the one that hit on Rory last week."

"Oh my god! She's with the Australian kiss guy!" Steph squealed.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

Finn stumbled out of bed, getting his foot caught on one of Rory's petticoats, he had a hell of a time getting off last night and pulled on his dress pants since he couldn't find his boxers. He left them low on his hips and unbuttoned as he walked through his apartment. He heard Rory's voice in the kitchen. Walking in, he heard her stop talking as he went thorough the cabinets in search of his coffee.

"Rory?" Paris asked.

"Yeah?"

"You were telling us about last night and then you stopped, sweetie," Steph said.

"I know."

"Why'd you stop?" Paris asked.

"Because."

"He's in there, isn't he?" Steph asked.

"Yes."

Finn frowned as he turned to her. "Have you seen my coffee?"

"Do you have coffee?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Because I've been searching for it and haven't found any."

He looked at her appearance and where she was sitting, and smiled. "I'm guessing you got bored of looking."

"I stopped when I reached the cabinets of teas," she told him.

"Right. Then it's behind that," he said opening up the cabinet and reached inside.

"Rory? Are you okay about last night?" Steph asked.

Rory nodded. "Yeah. It really wasn't supposed to happen, but like you said, Paris, one thing led to another and well, here I am, in his kitchen... Oh coffee!" She said hopping off the counter and going over to him, hugging his middle as he started it.

"I'm starting to think you like the coffee better than me, love."

"Who, me? Never! Can you make that a bit stronger?" She asked, taking the coffee from his hand and dumping half the bag in.

"Why is it that we freak out over sleeping with people, after all our relationships of the past, and Rory wakes up, with someone she barely knows, and instead of freaking out she tells him how to make her coffee?" Steph asked.

"Because I have my love life together," she teased. "Bye guys, enjoy your mornings."

"Bye."

Rory hung up her phone and put it on the counter as Finn turned and hugged her middle.

"No regrets about last night, love?"

Rory shook her head. "I wasn't planning on sleeping with you, Finn, I was only planning on the movie night," she shrugged. "But things lead somewhere and I tend not to regret many things like that."

"Good, because I was sort of hoping for a repeat tonight."

Rory laughed. "I think that can be arranged, Mr. Rothschild." The coffee timer dinged causing her to squeal in happiness as she grabbed a mug and poured herself coffee.

Finn smiled at her antics. He had made the right choice tracking her down. He would definitely have fun getting to know her and hoped he would be able to further their relationship, if she even wanted one.

"What are we, love?" Finn asked as he poured himself some coffee and sat down with her at the table.

Rory shrugged. "Not sure. We technically met last week, but I don't count that as meeting, so I'm thinking last night was our real official meeting. We don't know anything about each other, except stories that we've heard from Logan about each other and the random little details we told each other last night, half of which we won't remember because of all the alcohol."

"So all in all, this isn't the dream beginning for a relationship?"

"Oh," Rory said shaking her head. "On the contrary, I think this is one of the best I've had."

He smiled as she leaned and kissed him, softly at first, but when she wrapped her arms around his neck bringing him closer, he couldn't stop from standing up and picking her up bridal style and taking back to the room.

"Finn," she laughed, "What are you doing?"

"Enjoying our morning," he told her logically as he entered the room and kicked the door shut.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

**_AN: _**The next chapter will probably be the Epilogue. Like I said, this really is a short story. I may have a plan in giving you more info on their relationship, but I'm going to have to think about it. Just know that this really may not be that last you see of Finn and Rory in this universe.

Leave your review!

Kassandra


	6. Amazing

_**Part 6: Amazing**_

_One Year Later:_

"Your eyes are bluer than the Atlantic Ocean and baby, I'm all lost at sea."

Rory rolled her eyes as she turned in her chair and looked at Rodney's proud face. "Rodney, sweetie, I've heard that one about a million times, and for the last time, I have a boyfriend," she said turning back, eyeing the picture of a close-up of her and Finn's faces. It had been the afternoon after they had gotten together. He had grabbed his camera and had pulled her towards him taking the picture.

"Yeah, but really for how long?" Rodney asked as Rory shut down her computer, taking her article off the printer and walking towards Logan's office.

"You are such an ass, Rodney," Rory said as she opened the door to Logan's office. Logan looked up at them with a smile as he held up a hand to keep them from talking to him. He turned towards them and they saw that he had the phone up to his ear.

"Look, I understand but..." He sighed and laid his head on the desk. "Yes, I know that..." He growled. "If you'd let me talk..." He hit his head on the desk twice before responding with, "Yeah, love you too." He hung up and glared at Rory. "She's your friend."

"Trouble in paradise, Logan?" Rory asked handing him her article. He tore it away from her hand glaring at her.

"Don't put that little innocent face on," Logan told her. "You're the one that gave her the blasted idea."

"What idea and who the hell are we talking about?" Rodney asked taking a seat.

Logan frowned at him. "You know, every time you come into this office is because you're following Rory who has an article for me, yet you're also a writer here and I see nothing from you. Why do you even work here?"

"Because I'm the comic relief?" Rodney asked.

Logan rolled his eyes. "If I needed comic relief, I'd hire Finn."

Rory smiled at the sound of her boyfriend's name. "So what's the consensus, Huntz, are you and Paris going to this little shindig?"

Logan shrugged mumbling grumpily. "I guess. She's already laying out my clothes."

"Who's Paris?" Rodney asked.

"Logan's girlfriend, my best friend," Rory explained.

"Since when do you have a girlfriend?" Rodney asked.

"Since a year ago." Logan grumbled. "I rue the day I met Paris Geller."

"Don't we all, and the sad part is you love her."

Logan gave a small smile as he put the article down. "Yeah, I do."

"Aww," Rodney cooed mockingly. "I'm leaving before all this cutsie stuff makes me gag."

"I want your article in by the end of the week," Logan told him.

"Will do boss," Rodney said as he left. Logan rolled his eyes as he leaned back in his chair. Rory propped her feet on the chair that Rodney had just vacated

"So do you have any idea what this thing is that Finn is planning?" Logan asked.

"Nope, he won't tell me a thing. You'd think a year of sex entitles me to some sort of knowledge but no, nothing," Rory sighed. "What about you, you know anything?"

"Just that it's going to be at your, guys, place," Logan said absently, clicking at his computer screen.

Rory sighed. "Well, I'm off. I'm done with work for the day." She walked towards the door and opened it.

"You going back to your place?" Logan asked sitting up. Spy, spy!

"No," Rory sighed as she leaned against the doorjamb. "Finn practically pushed me out the door this morning, then when I stood outside the door in shock, I heard him shout that my mom wanted to see me after work." She rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I really wonder about him."

"He's being faithful, Rory," Logan said reassuringly, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

"I don't wonder about his fidelity, Logan, I wonder about his sanity."

Logan laughed and nodded. "Don't we all."

"I'll see you tonight," she said laughing as well. Logan watched her close the door, sighing in relief. He picked up the phone and was answered on the first ring. "Hey. Yeah, she went to Hartford. Nope, she doesn't know a thing. Yeah, see you tonight, man." Logan hung up the phone and smiled. Two of his best friends were going to be very happy tonight.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

After Rory had grabbed her bag from her desk, she had made her way to her car and started going to Hartford, where Finn had told her her mom was waiting for her. Derek and her father were probably there too, watching some sports game while Ann probably bugged them to death.

It was what she had loved about Finn. Unlike her other boyfriends, he expected her to put her family first, before their relationship. He knew what they meant to her, and had accepted it. He pushed her to spend the day with them while he spent the day with friends or working.

She remembered the first day she realized that she wanted Finn to join her. Biting her lip, she smiled as she remembered.

_"Hey babe!" Lorelai said as Rory got out of the car._

_"Hey Mom," Rory said hugging her mother as they walked into their Hartford mansion._

_"So how's my favorite daughter?"_

_"Don't let Ann hear you," Rory said as they walked to the kitchen to get coffee. All their best conversations were held over coffee and in the kitchen. "And I'm good," she said pushing the nagging feeling of Finn being alone in his penthouse to the back of her head. _

_He was the one that had practically pushed her out the door, wanting her to go out and spend time with family while he overlooked some fact sheets for the hotel._

_"You don't sound okay," Lorelai pointed out pouring two mugs of coffee and setting one in front of her, while keeping the other one in her hands. Rory sat at the counter while Lorelai stayed leaning, looking at her daughter. "How's the beau?"_

_Rory smiled as she sipped her coffee. "He's good."_

_"Hot?"_

_"Who's hot now?" Rory and Lorelai turned and saw Chris and Derek coming into the room, while Ann followed in her tutu and ballet flats. Chris smiled as he kissed his oldest daughter. "Hey kiddo."_

_"Hi Daddy."_

_"Little sister," Derek said sitting next to her while Ann danced around the kitchen._

_"Big brother," Rory said hitting his shoulder with hers. He smirked before grabbing her cup and taking a sip. She ignored it, knowing it was no use arguing. They were coffee addicts and they got their coffee wherever they could, even if it meant stealing from a fellow coffee addict._

_"So, tell me, how's the sex?" Lorelai said._

_"Lor! Not when Ann is in the room!" Chris said. "Ann, go play in your room."_

_"Fine," the ten-year-old said as she skipped out of the room. "But don't think for a minute I'm naive enough to not know where babies come from."_

_Rory and Derek burst out laughing while their parents stood in shock. Lorelai shaking out of it first and sitting across from them on the counter. "So tell me, the sex?"_

_"Come on, Mom," Derek groaned._

_"Hey, just because I'm getting laid and you're not, doesn't mean you get to be jealous," Rory teased as Chris sat next to Lorelai. "And the sex is better than fine, he's the best I've had."_

_"Really don't need to hear about my daughter's sex life, thank you," Chris groaned. _

_  
"You know, he does this amazing thing with his tongue..." Rory started, causing her father to glare at her. "Kidding, Daddy... It's all in the hands."_

_Lorelai laughed while Derek and Chris groaned._

_"He's fine," Rory said. "I just... I don't know."_

_"What?" Lorelai asked._

_"He's accepting that I'm close to you guys, and I love that. It's way better than all the other possessive bastards I've dated. He practically pushed me out of the apartment today and told me to come hang out with you guys."_

_"Do you think he's cheating?" Derek asked._

_"No,." Rory said. "I trust him. And I know he's not. It's just a gut feeling telling me he wouldn't do that to me, even if I have only known him for a month. I just..."_

_"What?" Chris asked._

_"I want him to meet you guys," Rory said quickly._

_All three looked at her with wide eyes. Rory always waited at least six months before introducing her family to her boyfriend., if the relationship even lasted that long. They had only met two of Rory's boyfriends, none had lasted after they had met the Haydens._

_"Well... I was planning on pulling out the grill," Chris started slowly. "You know, good ol' fashioned Hayden Barbeque."_

_Rory smiled looking down at the mug she had stolen back from her bother. "Really?"_

_"Yeah, Babe, go call him. I bet by the time he gets down here, the steaks will be on the grill, and Derek will be getting his ass beat at basketball by Ann," Lorelai said._

_"Really?" Rory asked with a raised eyebrow._

_"Yeah," Chris said. "Go. Use the phone in my study."_

_Rory bit her lip and hopped off the stool, grabbing her coffee and going to the study._

_"This guy must be special," Derek said, "If we're meeting him this early on."_

_"Or the sex must be amazing," Lorelai added. _

_"All right, enough with the sex," Chris said glaring at his innocent looking wife._

It had actually taken some convincing to have Finn come to Hartford and meet her family. But she had told him to pack a bag of overnight clothes, even his work if he wanted to, and to come down. She had told him it was important to her, and he had agreed, knowing that her family was a huge fixture in her life and if they were going to be together, he would have to meet them sooner or later.

_"Finn!" Rory said as she ran down the driveway and jumped into his arms._

_"Hey," he laughed as he picked her up, burying his face in the crook of her neck. He put her down gently kissing her and smiling. "You sure you want me here?"_

_"Of course!!" Rory said. "Daddy and Mom are excited to meet you," she said as he grabbed his bag from the back. She grabbed his hand as he closed the door and led him into the house. "Come on, we'll drop your stuff off in my room, then meet them in the back."_

_"Your room?" Finn asked as she led him up the stairs._

_"Yeah," Rory said looking at him. "You're staying in my room, with me."_

_"But..."_

_  
"They know we're sleeping together, Finn," Rory laughed as she led him down the various hallways. "I tell my mother everything."_

_"Everything?" He smirked as she opened the door to her room. He threw his bag down and wrapped his arms around her waist kicking the door closed. "Because," he said kissing the side of her neck, "There are a few things that we've done that _I_ don't even talk about."_

_Rory blushed. "All right, not everything."_

_"So they know."_

_"Yes, they know," Rory laughed, kissing him lightly. "Come on, I'm starving and you know better than to keep me hungry."_

_"Yes, I've learned that the hard way," he said dramatically, letting her drag him back down the stairs and out onto the patio._

_"Kick their asses, Ann!" They heard a woman yell, followed by a curse. The woman came skipping up the porch, smiling at the couple. "Hey sweets, is this magic hands?"_

_Rory laughed turning to Finn, who was blushing. "Finn, are you blushing?" _

_"No," Finn said turning away._

_"Nice, Mom, you're closer to scaring him away than any other my other boyfriends."_

_Lorelai shrugged "Eh, if I'm scaring him away this fast, he may not last."_

_"Mom!" Rory warned sternly, causing Lorelai to roll her eyes. _

_"Sorry." She turned to Finn who looked amused at the conversation. "I'm Lorelai, Rory's mom."_

_"Finn, Rory's..."_

_"Boyfriend and sex toy, we know."_

_"All right, for this to work, you've got to lay off the sex thing," Rory warned her. "I want Daddy to actually like Finn," she said wrapping her arms around his waist, Finn automatically dropping an arm around her shoulders bringing her closer and kissing the top of her head._

_"Fine," Lorelai said smiling. Her baby really liked this one. It was very rare that she ever hugged or kissed her boyfriend, let alone clasp hands with them when around her family. "Go get your dad, tell him the steaks are burning. Finn, why don't you help me in the kitchen."_

_"Don't let her intimidate you," Rory said, mock glaring at her mom as she skipped off the porch and down to the basketball court her father had installed when Derek was born._

_"Come on," Lorelai said walking into the house. Finn had no choice but to follow._

_He watched her start opening cabinets and taking out potato chips bags._

_"I had Derek when I was sixteen you know," Lorelai told him. He looked up at her and nodded._

_"Rory told me," Finn said._

_"I had Rory when I was about nineteen. Ann.. well, Ann, me and Chris decided to wait awhile," Lorelai said with a smile as she started grabbing bowls and putting them in front of Finn. She handed him bags of chips and gestured for him to pour them into the different bowls. "You might have noticed that we're not like regular Hartford families."_

_Finn smirked and nodded. "Yes, I have. Rory's told me about you guys."_

_"Chris and I, we love each other so much. We both grew up in crappy households. I mean our parents had their moments, but we just wanted to raise our kids to be close to us. We wanted them to come home on their own, instead of us conning them into it. Did you know that Derek and Rory were the ones that started coming every Saturday for lunch?"_

_Finn frowned. "Rory's never told me about that, she just says she needs to go out."_

_"She comes here," Lorelai told him. "We actually do what we're doing today, Chris gets out the grill and we just hang out. It's family time." _

_"Then what am I doing here?" Finn asked pouring another bag into a bowl._

_"Rory wants you here," Lorelai said. "It's very, very rare that we meet Rory's boyfriends, we've met two. They were nice enough, but they didn't accept the closeness and they didn't accept us. Neither relationship lasted long."_

_"Why are you telling me this?" He asked, quite confused._

_"Because I see how my daughter looks at you. I've heard all about your relationship, Mr. Rothschild, how she gave you that number that we mock mercilessly, how you sought her out, how you guys had a movie night, got drunk and slept together and how you convinced her to stay the entire day with you the next day. I heard how you listened to her tell you the her family always came first. And how you accepted it, telling her that you understood."_

_"I'd heard a lot about your family, from Logan. I've been hearing about Rory for years, I'd heard a lot about her wallowing sessions from Logan, and how each one was dumped or dumped her regarding her family," he shrugged. "I'm just her boyfriend, Lorelai. I have no right to pull her away from people she loves."_

_"And you don't think she loves you?"_

_Finn shrugged, "I don't know."_

_"Do you love her?" Lorelai asked, looking behind Finn's shoulder and seeing Rory standing there, biting her lip. She looked back at Finn, who looked deep in thought before nodding slowly._

_"Yeah, I do."_

_Lorelai smiled and kissed his cheek, "That's all I needed to hear, welcome to the Haydens, Finn, where nothing is normal." She grabbed some bowls and started walking out._

_Finns stared at the bowls in front of him, wondering what had just happened. He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. Knowing it was Rory, he smirked._

_"Lorelai, I'm not sure we should be doing this, Rory may come in any second," he teased._

_Rory bit her lip to keep from laughing and kissed the middle of his shoulders, laying her forehead against it. "I love you too."_

_Finn froze, not sure how to react. He had never told a girl he had loved them before. Even indirectly. This was a whole new step for them and they had only been dating a month._

_"Finn?"_

_"I'm sorry, I just..."_

_Rory pulled away, causing him to turn. "Did you mean it?" She whispered._

_"I did," he said, running a hand through his hair with a sigh. "I just didn't want you to know that way... I don't know... I wanted to tell you in some way normal."_

_Rory raised an eyebrow, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him softly. With a laugh she said. "Nothing about our relationship is normal."_

"MOM!" Rory yelled as she shut the front door and dumped her bag in the foyer.

"UP HERE!" She heard her mother yell, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Four fricking floors and she says 'up here'," Rory muttered, already knowing that she was in either her old bedroom or in the master bedroom. Choosing the master first she walked down the halls and knocked on the door.

"Rory, come in!" Lorelai yelled.

"Fine," Rory muttered walking in.

"Hey sweets, you found me."

"That I did," Rory agreed flopping on the king-sized bed, bouncing lightly on the mattress. "So what am I doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," Lorelai said coming out of her closet, a short red dress with a low back and front plastered in front of her.

"If you're going for the slut look, that's perfect."

Lorelai glared at her daughter before walking back into the closet. "So what are you doing here?"

Rory shrugged, then remembered her mother was in the closet. "I don't know, Finn said you wanted me to come home. You had something to show me."

"Shoot," Lorelai said coming out of the closet, holding two hangers, causing Rory to shake her head. "What's with the shake of your head, you don't even know what the hell I'm dressing for."

"I know that whatever you're dressing for, you don't want to look like a tramp," Rory said with a smile, causing her mother to go back in. "So what'd you want to show me?"

"That's right, I remember now, how about the gold pumps?"

"Sure if you want to look like Julia Roberts in 'Pretty Woman."

"Before or after the prostitution gig?"

"Before," Rory said.

Lorelai came out empty-handed and flopped down on the bed. "I give up, I've got nothing to wear."

"Yeah, 'cause you're such a pauper," Rory said with a roll of her eyes. "So, now that you've successfully avoided the subject four times, why am I here when I can have amazing sex with my boyfriend."

Lorelai smiled and looked at her smiling daughter. "You're happy, aren't you, kid?"

Rory moved her head to look at her mom and nodded slightly. "Yeah, I am."

"What makes you love Finn?"

Rory frowned. "Why?"

Lorelai shrugged. "Not sure. Just… wanted to know."

Rory smiled and looked up at the ceiling. "He has a way of making me feel like I'm the only girl in the room. Fifty girls could be naked and he'd only look at me. You know, the way Dad does with you."

Lorelai nodded, knowing exactly what feeling she meant. "Yeah, I know that one."

"He brings me out of my shell, he's gotten me to ditch work countless times, to go jetting off to some fancy country."

"Which isn't all that bad, seeing as you guys both know the boss."

Rory laughed. "It's fun irritating Logan." She shrugged again and looked at her mom. "He accepts you guys, and he gets along with Derek which is a miracle in and of itself, Dad loves him, you love him, hell, Ann is ready to marry him."

"What about you?"

"Me?" Rory asked confused. "What about me?"

"Would you want to marry him?" She watched a smile form on Rory's lips.

Rory nodded. "Yeah, I would. It's weird," Rory stated as she got comfortable and laid on her side to face her mother, propping her head on her hand. "With a lot of my other boyfriends, I would never see it lasting. It's why you've only met two of my other ones and the others were just horror stories. But with Finn…" Rory trailed off and shrugged.

"What about him, sweets?"

Rory turned to face her. "You remember those stories you used to tell me to go to bed when I was younger? The one about the princess that met her perfect prince in the most perfect way, and they had the most perfect wedding, and the perfect children and the perfect house?"

Lorelai laughed. "Yeah, told those to Ann and she asked what type of dog poop was that. Not everything is perfect like that."

"That's what I figured out with Finn."

"Oh?"

Rory nodded. "I met him in a bar, then again at that Hilton party, instead of getting to know each other we got horribly drunk and slept together, and our morning after was spent in his bed. Our entire relationship was based on getting to know each other later, so each day is a surprise. Hell, I didn't even know he was allergic to peas till yesterday."

"Really?"

Rory nodded. "Yeah, we moved in together two months after meeting each other solely because I spent more time at his place than I did at my own. Hell, friends had started calling me at his place instead of at mine. We didn't talk about it, it just happened. My stuff just started showing up, I didn't pay my next month's rent and it happened."

"Things worked for you."

Rory nodded. "Yeah, in the most imperfect way that made it perfect. I have no idea if that makes sense."

"It does," Lorelai nodded.

"I can see myself married to Finn, Mom. I can see us having kids and telling them our story, with minor changes of course. And I can see our grandkids. And it's just perfect."

Lorelai smiled as she looked at her daughter with a small smile on her face, obviously thinking about the future. "I'm glad you feel like that, kid."

Rory smiled. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, I mean I'm glad that some time in the near future, I get to call the Australian hunk my son-in-law."

Rory laughed and nodded. "That is a perk, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I mean what kid would be embarrassed to have that picking them up from school."

Rory laughed again, "True, very true."

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

**_AN: _**I thought this was going to be the last chapter, but decided to split it into two. Hope you enjoyed! and the last chapter is being written. No say on when it'll be up!

Thanks to all who waited!

Kassandra


	7. The Right Moments

_**Part 7: The Right Moments**_

Finn made sure that everything was perfect as he looked around the dining room. The guests would be taking up at least five tables. Friends and family were due to arrive in hour in a half. He made his way to the kitchen, fixing the centerpieces that were off center, muttering to himself that there was a reason they called them centerpieces.

He went to the kitchen and made sure all the food was prepared. Steph and Colin were trying out vegan for a month, so he made sure that there was no meat in their food. Though knowing Colin, he'd been taking some off Logan's plate, so Finn made sure Logan had extra.

He made sure the wine was chilled and that the cake they had made, was perfection. If everything turned out as planned, this wouldn't just be a gathering of friends and family, it would also be a very important party.

After the cooks and waiters reassured him that everything would go off without a hitch and that he was overreacting, he made his way upstairs to the penthouse where he and Rory lived. He took the elevator up to the top floor, leaned his head against the wall as it moved upward at a slow pace.

The doors opened to reveal the apartment that took up the entire floor. Getting off the elevator, he walked into the apartment and into the bedroom, taking off his suit jacket and tie. He kicked off his shoes and was about to walk into the bathroom to take a shower, when he noticed the light was on.

"Rory?" He asked.

"Bathroom," she answered.

Finn walked into the bathroom and noticed his girlfriend standing in front of the mirror, curling her hair, her body wrapped in one of the plush robes that were switched each week when the maids came and cleaned.

He went behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist kissing the side of her neck, as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "I didn't see you come up," he said.

Rory smiled as she turned and kissed the tip of his nose. She put her curling iron down to avoid burning him and turned in his arms. "I walked in about an hour ago. I saw you bossing the waiters around, didn't want to interrupt."

"You could have," Fin pointed out.

"Hmm.." She kissed him lightly. "I could have, but then I thought, you don't interrupt me when I'm working, I shouldn't interrupt you when you're working."

"That's very Miss Manners of you, love."

"You know I live by the book, Finn," Rory teased. "And have I told you how incredibly sexy I find you when you're bossing people around?"

"A few times," Finn laughed. "But I'll be sure to bring that up later tonight."

"Good idea," Rory laughed as she pulled away and grabbed the curling iron. "Did you want to use the bathroom?" She asked.

"Just a quick shower," he responded starting to take off his shirt and throwing it into the hamper with his pants.

"All right," she said as she wrapped her hair around the curling iron, holding it still for a few seconds and pulling it away lightly. "I'm all done," she said checking to see if the back was all right.

"It looks perfect, love."

She smiled as she unplugged the iron, wrapped up the cord and put it under the sink. "You always do know the right things to say, don't you?" She kissed him again before walking out. "I'm assuming you want me to wear the dress you have laid out on the bed?"

"You assume right, love."

"And you always seem to have a good sense of style," she said closing the door.

Finn smiled as he turned on the water and stripped off the rest of his clothing, putting it in the hamper. He got under the water and closed the shower door, dunking his head into the warm water. He opened his eyes and noticed Rory's vanilla scented shampoo that he loved the scent of when they were asleep.

He remembered when the transition of the moving in together had happened. It had happened so suddenly that he didn't even think that they knew they were doing it until the last of her clothing and knick knacks had found a place in his home.

He remembered the first step of the transition.

_"Can I use some hangers?" Rory asked as she took her work clothes out of the drycleaners' bag she had them in. She hated using the wire hangers that came with dry cleaning, since she'd seen _Mother Dearest _with her mom when she was eight._

_"Yeah, I think I have a few extra in there. If not, I can ask one of the maids to send some up," Finn said from the bed as he looked over some of the proposals for the hotel he had to approve._

_"There's enough," Rory said as she hung up two of her work outfits. "It's so cool."_

_"What is?" He asked looking up._

_"Living in a hotel," she said in an obvious tone as she took out her make up bag. "I mean you run out of something in your room, obviously you have to have it in storage, or else you'd be running a sucky hotel."_

_"Very true."_

_"When I run out of something at my place, I just make do and don't buy until I have to buy in bulk," she said as she went to the bathroom to leave off her makeup bag._

_"Well, that's like a hotel," Finn said. "We buy in bulk... massive, massive amounts," he muttered not bothering to crunch the numbers. He had accountants for that._

_"Trust me, my place is nothing like your hotel. The day you run out of toilet paper and don't buy more until all the light bulbs in your house burn out, that's when your hotel will be like my house. Until then, they're nothing alike." _

_Finn frowned. "When did you not buy toilet paper?"_

_Rory walked out of the bathroom and took out three pairs of shoes from her bag and placed them in the closet with his. "My struggling years."_

_"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing she had years where she struggled. She was the heiress to a multibillion corporation, no one struggled for long when inheriting that much money._

_"Yes, it was the years right out of college, before Logan hired me. His dad was still running that office and I was working as the copy girl in some shit hole newspaper. I didn't get enough money. Those were also the years that I was too proud to take money from my parents. The toilet paper/light bulb incident took care of that."_

_"I'm sure it did," Finn laughed._

_Rory looked at him. "I'm not kidding."_

_"I never said you were," Finn said as she looked at her empty bag. _

_"Where do I put this?"_

_"Hall closet. Just stuff it in there," Finn said smiling as he looked back at his papers._

_"Remind me to tell you about the time I ran out of food and all I had to eat was stale crackers, mustard, half an apple and gummy worms," Rory said as she walked out. Finn frowned as he looked up. He jumped off the bed and walked after her._

_"I'm reminding you now," he called after her. "This sounds like a good story."_

He remembered the second stage of the transition as well, he thought as he grabbed his shampoo from the ledge of the shower.

_"URG!"_

_Rory frowned as she buttoned up her shirt at Finn's frustrated groan that had come out from the bathroom. She tucked her shirt into her black skirt and went over to the bathroom door, knocking lightly. "Finn?"_

_"What?" He asked irritated. Rory smiled a little._

_"Something wrong?" She asked as she opened the door to find him glaring at her shaving gel. _

_"What the hell is this doing here?" He asked looking at her._

_She raised an eyebrow. "I shaved my legs this morning," she said. "I'm wearing a skirt to work today, and you've been complaining that the tiny miniscule hairs on my legs have been scratching you while you sleep, which I really find impossible seeing as I shave my legs every other day. That way they don't grow, but no, you were being a baby about it, so this morning, after I took my shower, I shaved my legs." _

_"I didn't mean here in the bathroom, I mean here on the sink."_

_Rory frowned. "I shaved my legs after my shower."_

_"Don't normal girls shave them in the shower."_

_"I'm not normal, therefore that rule doesn't apply to me," Rory pointed out._

_"Obviously," he muttered as he grabbed a towel from the rack and wiped his face._

_"What stick crawled up your butt this morning?" She asked crossing her arms over her chest, not intimidated by his attitude, but amused by it._

_"I don't care that your lotions and shampoos and gels and whatever the hell else you use are here, I really, really don't."_

_"So what is it?" She asked biting the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing, getting the general idea. _

_"It's the fact that for the past two weeks I've been getting your shampoo mixed up with mine, and I've been going to work with my hair smelling like a fucking vanilla orchid." _

_It's the fact that yesterday I shaved my face with your razor and not mine and went downstairs with twenty little pieces of tissue paper stuck to my face because your razor is one of those cheap little bastards that cut everything they come in contact with."_

_It's the fact that not two minutes ago, I used your shaving gel instead of mine and my faced burned like a son of a bitch."_

_Rory giggled. "I've never seen you this mad before."_

_"I'm not mad," he huffed, glad to have gotten all of that off his chest. Rory walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist._

_"You're annoyed," she pointed out._

_"Just a little."_

_"Are the maids teasing you about smelling like vanilla?"_

_He glared at her. "Not the point."_

"'_Cause I think you smelling like me is a bit sexy."_

_"Rory," he warned._

_She rolled her eyes. "If it makes you happier, I can move my stuff out of your reach so that when you want to shave your face, you don't get burned with mine."_

_"Why the hell does it burn?" He asked. "How do you shave your legs with that stuff burning like that?"_

_She took the bottle and showed it to him. "It's that cream crap that you use when you have all the time in the world, which I don't. You're not supposed to use it on your face sweetie, seeing as girls don't have that much hair on their faces to take off. That's why right here." She turned the bottle over and showed him the directions. "It says in big bold letters, do NOT use on face."_

_"Then why was it on the sink if you don't use it?"_

_"Forgot to put it away last night, sorry." She kissed his face. "Your face smells like crap now."_

_Finn nodded as he chuckled. "Yeah, it does."_

_"I have to go finish getting ready. When I get home from work, I'll put everything under the sink." She let him go to go back into the room._

_Finn nodded, not noticing her use of the word 'home'. "One more thing?"_

_"Yeah?" She asked turning._

_"Mind putting your..." he trailed off running a hand through his hair._

_"My?" She prompted._

_"Feminine products in the back. I reach in for a roll of toilet paper and I come out with tampons. That's just something guys don't want to know about."_

_"It's like the army," Rory said leaning against the doorjamb._

_"What?"_

_"Don't ask, don't tell." She shook her head, knowing her mother would have laughed. "I'll move them when I get home. Now I really have to go finish getting ready, 'cause unlike you, I don't have the pleasure of running my own business, and I have a staff meeting to make," Rory said as she walked back into the bedroom._

_"You do have the pleasure of sleeping with one of the boss's best friends though," Finn called out._

_"Hmm... yes, and I also have the pleasure of being another of said boss's best friends, doesn't mean I can't get fired." She slipped on her shoes and pulled her hair into a ponytail quickly._

_She stuffed her laptop and papers into her messenger bag and put it over her shoulder. Making sure she had everything she needed she went into the bathroom and absently kissed Finn's cheek only to pull back with the bottom of her face covered in shaving cream._

_"See, that's what a man is supposed to smell like," Finn said matter-of-factly._

_Rory wiped her face with a towel and nodded. "Hmm, I tell a man when I see one," she teased. "I'll be home around seven."_

_"Why so late?" He asked as he grabbed his razor, making sure it was his and started shaving his face._

_"Have to grab some more of my stuff from my place. There's a shirt I have there that I've wanted to wear for weeks."_

_"All right, I'll have dinner sent up around seven twenty?"_

_"That's fine. Have a good day."_

_"You too." Finn called as he heard the elevator ding._

Finn grabbed a towel from the rack and dried off before wrapping it around his waist and walking to the sink to brush his teeth. He remembered the last and final transition that had taken place and how natural it had been. This was when the realization of what they were doing in the few months they had known each other had set in.

_"Hey Finn!" Rory called from her spot in front of the TV._

_"Yes love?" He asked from the kitchen as he set the coffee maker. _

_"Can you pop popcorn too?"_

_"Yeah!" He said as he grabbed the bag, unwrapped it and threw it into the microwave, setting the five minute time limit. He walked out with the bowl of chips that he had dumped into a bowl and sat back on the couch putting the chips on the table in front of them._

_"Few minutes and coffee and popcorn will be ready."_

_"Good, I've been looking forward to our "The Rock" marathon all week."_

_"Sadly so have I."_

_Rory nudged him with her elbow as she laughed. "It's not sad. I think it's great that we were looking forward to watching all the good movies The Rock has made making it a full night of fun." _

_"It's only the Scorpion King, and it wasn't that great of a movie in the first place."_

_"Shut up!" Rory said. "It's a great movie."_

_"You only like it, because he's shirtless the whole movie."_

_"Even you have to admit that body is pretty perfect."_

_"No, 'cause mine is better."_

_"Aww, sweetie, am I deflating your ego?" She teased._

_"Just a tiny little bit," Finn admitted mockingly with a smile. Rory rolled her eyes as she snuggled further into his embrace. She flipped through the channels as Finn kissed the top of her head. "By the way, your mom called."_

_"Hmm, what'd she want?"_

_Finn shrugged. "The usual, she misses you, Ann misses you, Derek is being a pain and won't move out. You're perfect and she wants to borrow your blue heels."_

_"Hmm, I'll take them tomorrow at lunch."_

_"You know, you've been getting a lot of calls here. I wonder what the message machine at your place looks like."_

_Rory looked up at him. "I unplugged the phone at my place."_

_"What?" He asked looking down at her._

_She nodded. "Everyone ends up calling here anyway. Didn't see the point in paying thirty bucks a month if I'm not using the phone." She decided that now that they were talking about her phone, she might as well tell him the whole entire truth... when he asked, she thought wanting to ease him into it._

_"Logical," Finn said with a nod._

_"That's what I thought too. That's why I didn't pay my water bill either."_

_"Why?"_

_"''Cause I take showers here, and wash my hands and face here and brush my teeth here. My toothbrush is very comfortable with your sink now, there's no more morning after awkwardness."_

_"'Cause we wouldn't want the sink and toothbrush fighting," Finn said humoring her._

_"Exactly, and you know... your comb and my hairbrush have been getting along pretty well too... have you noticed that?"_

_"Yep, don't wake up to them arguing anymore."_

_"And you know our face products and shampoos and all of that aren't getting angry at each other anymore. In fact I'd say all our belongs are getting quite comfortable living together."_

_"Yeah, they are," Finn nodded as he heard the microwave beep and the timer for the coffee pot go off. He started to get up but Rory grabbed his arm and pulled him back down._

_"And it'd be something akin to a psychological trauma to have to uproot them and take them to a different place everyday."_

_Finn frowned as he leaned back against the couch. "I guess."_

_"Which is another reason why I didn't renew my lease."_

_"You didn't..." Finn trailed off and frowned. He looked behind the couch and saw a lone box sitting in the middle of the living room. He'd seen it when he'd come up after work, and when he'd asked Rory what it had been, she told him she'd tell him later._

_"It's the last of my stuff," she said. "I haven't unpacked it yet. I didn't know how you'd react and I just... I mean we haven't even talked about it." She stared at her hands as he kept looking at the box. "It just sort of ended up happening. One minute I'm just spending a few nights here, next thing I know we're sharing sock drawers."_

_"Rory..." Finn started._

_"I mean if you don't want to move in together, I totally get that. I can so move some of my stuff back. I'm sure my landlord is willing to renew that lease. I don't think he's sold it to anybody."_

_"Rory," Finn repeated._

_"What?"_

_"Move in."_

_"What?"_

_"Like you said, somehow without both of us noticing it, you've already moved in. Everyone calls you here now. And I'm even starting get your mail here now too. It's been official for a while. Unpack the box, move in. Get a change of address card and have your mail sent here now."_

_"But..."_

_"Do it," Finn said._

_Rory bit her lip and shook her head. "All right, but I'm not unpacking the box."_

_"Rory," Finn sighed as she got off the couch and grabbed the box. _

_"No, it's official," she said going to the hall closet with Finn behind her. "But I'm not unpacking this box. Not yet anyway." She opened the closet door and stuffed it on the shelf above their coats "Just... leave it be."_

_"But you're getting that change of address card?"_

_"I'm getting the change of address card. I'll get it tomorrow."_

_"All right," Finn nodded. "I'm going to grab the popcorn and coffee, why don't you start the movie?"_

_"All right."_

_"We're okay, right? Nothing's changed."_

_"Nope, nothing's changed."_

_"Okay," he kissed her lightly as he walked towards the kitchen. _

That box was still in the hall closet, and for the past eight months was left unopened. He was hoping tonight would change that. He walked out of the bathroom after running a hand through his hair and into the bedroom, where Rory was putting on her makeup in the vanity mirror he had gotten her.

She had been late to work a few times because the mirror to the bathroom had been fogged up from his shower that she couldn't see anything when putting on her makeup. He had gone out to lunch with a colleague, seen the mirror at an antique shop and gotten it on a whim. She had loved it and used it daily.

She was still in her robe when he grabbed some boxers from his drawers and pulled them on, taking off the towel and rubbing it over his hair to get any excess water off, before throwing it on the floor and walking to the closet to grab the suit he was wearing.

Rory finished putting on her lipstick, rubbed her lips together making sure it was even, before scooping down to pick up the towel and going to the bathroom to hang it up.

"So how was work?" She asked as she took off her robe. Finn turned and saw her shimming the dress over her hips.

"Good, we have a wedding party coming in soon," he told her.

"Really?" She asked with a frown. "When?"

"Not sure, they haven't set the date yet." He took the suit out of the closet and laid it one the bed so it wouldn't wrinkle. "They know they want to have the reception here, and they plan to have a summer wedding."

"Oh," She said with a smile. "That's great."

"Yeah, so they blocked off all of May, June and July, and have those months reserved until they set it."

"Oh,"

Finn watched her face fall."What?" He asked.

"Nothing," she shook her head and turned around. "Can you zip me up?"

Finn nodded as he pulled on his white dress shirt and walked around the bed to zip up the dress. The dress was sleeveless and had a dark beige-ish color. The top was the dark color, embroidered with beads, while the middle of the dress was a solid color and wrapped around hugging her waist and showing off her natural curves, then the dress fell to her knees, a layer of soft tulle that was embroidered with the beads fell on top of the bottom skirt which was white.

It fitted her perfectly and he knew it would be prefect.

"What's wrong, love?" He asked, knowing that the three month block that he had to reserve was bugging her.

"Nothing, sweetie," she kissed him lightly before going to the closet and grabbing her shoes. "Finish getting ready, I'm going to go and make some coffee."

He didn't stop her with the fact that they were about to go downstairs to a party where she would be mostly drinking coffee and alcohol. He let her leave.

He knew that she had wanted a summer wedding and that they'd been talking about their future as of late.

_"I want a summer wedding," she announced as she watched the Style channel and he worked on some papers._

_"What?"_

_"Summer, I think that's a perfect time of the year for weddings."_

_He looked up from his papers to listen to her babblings. In the ten months that they had been dating, he'd gotten used to tuning her out when she babbled, and tune back in when he needed to. "Summer?"_

_"Weddings."_

_"Oh."_

_  
"May, June, July. They're perfect."_

_"May isn't technically summer, love."_

_"Doesn't matter, those months are perfect."_

_"For weddings?"_

_"Yes, for weddings."_

_"And what, my dear, do you have planned for this summer wedding?"_

_"Hmm," she laid down so that she was on his chest, looking up at him. "The actual wedding in Hartford."_

_"Really?"_

_Rory nodded. "Yeah, I don't want a super, super large wedding where there are more business associates of my parents than there are people I know. I want strictly family and friends."_

_"That's good."_

_"Then New York for the reception."_

_"You want all your guests to drive to New York for the reception, are you paying for gas? 'Cause that's a good two hour drive."_

_"A bit more, and no, silly, we fly them out."_

_"You expect the groom to fly out all your relatives, and all your friends, to New York solely for a wedding reception?"_

_"One, it's not just any groom," she pointed out though she didn't specifically say it was him. It was implied and he knew. "And two, Logan, Steph, Colin, Paris and my parents have private jets. All they have to do is drive to the strip."_

_"And you want two hundred some guests to fit into those planes."_

_"Yes."_

_"And where would the reception be?"_

_"Here."_

_"Here?"_

_"Yes, here."_

_"In this hotel?"_

_"In this very hotel, in the great dining hall."_

_"Huh."_

_"What?"_

_"Nothing, what else?"_

_"Hm... I wouldn't want some sucky DJ, or recorded music. Live band."_

_"A live band?"_

_"Yes," she said. "And that's it. Oh, and cake has to be marble. That way no one complains about it being chocolate or vanilla."_

_"Very smart."_

_"It's why I graduated from Yale," she pointed out._

_"Very true," He murmured leaning down and kissing her._

Finn pulled on his black dress pants and tucked the now buttoned shirt in them before zipping them up. He went to the closet and grabbed a belt, buckling up. He popped the collar of his white shirt up, put the green tie around his neck and walked over to the kitchen.

He found Rory sipping on a cup of coffee, staring at the wall.

"Rory?"

"Hmm?" She turned and smiled as she put her cup down and motioned him forward with her finger. He walked forward and she wordlessly started tying his tie.

"What did you do before me?" She asked.

"About?"

"Your tie," she laughed as she expertly twisted, tucked and knotted the tie before centering it and tightening it, so it wouldn't suffocate him while downstairs, but wouldn't look sloppy to the guests.

"I usually asked Rosa to do it," he admitted, talking about the maid that came and cleaned the apartment.

"Hmm, so that's why she hates me."

"Rosa doesn't hate you," Finn said. "She's just protective of me."

"She hates me," Rory laughed as she went into the living room. Finn smiled, happy she was out of her funk. He took his jacket out of the hall closet while Rory grabbed her purse.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yep. Let's go." Finn pushed the button for the elevator, which opened immediately. They walked in, and prepared to see their friends and family.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

"Steph!" Rory said upon entering the dining hall, leaving Finn's side to hug her friend.

"Rory!" Steph hugged her as Colin rolled his eyes.

"Didn't you guys see each other yesterday?"

"Pish posh, Colin," Rory said in a bad English accent. "Have you yet to learn the thing about girls, where it doesn't matter how long ago they've seen each other, they still greet each as if it was years."

"Right, 'cause that's the important thing about girls," Colin said with a roll of his eyes. "Hey Finn."

"Hey." They gave each other a man hug, while Rory and Steph pulled away from their hug. Rory turned and hugged Colin, who she'd gotten to know better over the year and kissed his cheek, before grabbing Finn's hand again.

"How are you, Colin?"

"About the same since we saw each other yesterday. You?"

"I'm good, Colin." Rory said.

"So, tell us everything," Steph squealed happily.

"Tell you about what?" Rory laughed, not sure about her best friend's excitement.

"You know, about the-"

"Steph!" Colin cut her off. "Why don't we get you something to drink?"

"Because I'm not thirsty," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"Yeah, you are, preferably for something alcoholic." He pulled her away before she could utter another word. Rory looked at the direction that Colin dragged Steph, confused at what had just happened.

"What was I supposed to tell her?" Rory asked.

Finn shrugged. "I don't know, hey, isn't that Paris?

Rory smiled as she dragged Finn over to her and Logan.

_**\XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

"What the hell are you thinking?" Colin whispered, yelling at his girlfriend, then turned to the bartender. "Cosmo and a beer," he told the man before turning back to his glaring girlfriend.

"What do you mean what was I thinking?" She asked. "My best friend is engaged. I think I have the right to know the details. Plus I would like to share the excitement of my own engagement with someone else who's engaged," she said harshly.

"Not yet!" He said grabbing their drinks and pulling a twenty from his pocket and stuffing it in the tip jar and handing Steph the Cosmo.

"What?" She asked with wide eyes.

"Finn hasn't popped the question yet, Steph, he's going to do it later."

"So I just..."

"Yeah."

"God, I should go apologize to Finn."

"Yeah, you should, but I'd feel safer if you didn't."

"I just hate keeping this a secret, it's been weeks now."

"I know, but Finn's made a big deal about him asking Rory, so me and Logan don't want to ruin his proposal with ours, just... a few more days."

"Days?" Steph squeaked. "Do you know that these two weeks is the longest I've gone without telling a secret?"

"I'm well aware, dear."

"I can't do this anymore!"

"Just... a few more days. Just until Logan proposes, then you can tell everybody."

"How about I just go give Rory a heads up about what Finn has planned? That way I can tell her, 'By the way, Rory, Colin and I are getting married this winter."

"You are going nowhere near Rory and Finn until after. So drink your drink, dear, and smile. We're in love."

"Remind me why again," she sighed.

"We're in public," he reminded her, causing her to giggle as he pushed her towards more familiar faces.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

"Hey Paris," Rory said hugging the woman.

"Hey Rory," Paris grabbed her left hand and examined it. "Where is it?"

"Where's what?" Rory asked pulling her hand back.

"Paris, I think I see something you should see," Logan said glaring at his girlfriend.

"What are you going on about?" Paris asked as she looked away from Rory and to her blonde boyfriend.

"Out on the terrace," Logan growled, pushing her towards the terrace on the other side of the room. "I'm sorry," he muttered to Finn as he passed before pushing Paris forward.

"All right, is it just me or our friends more crazy than usual?" Rory asked.

"Just you, love," Finn said, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"What do they keep babbling about?" Rory wondered out loud.

At this point Finn thanked the gods that though Rory was smart as hell, she was oblivious to some things that were right under her nose.

"I have no idea. Come on, let's go find your mom."

"Good idea."

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

"Take your hands off me, Huntzberger, before I take them off myself," Paris warned him as he pushed her outside, then closed the doors to the terrace.

"What the hell are you thinking, Geller?"

"About what?"

"'Where is it?' Come on, Paris, could you be more obvious?"

"I wanted to see the ring, Logan! Is it that much of a crime?" Paris said crossing her arms over her chest. "I mean you're not proposing anytime soon, I might as well be happy for my best friend."

"I get that, Paris, but-"

"I mean just because I got stuck with the _only_ one that has _no_ desire to get married, doesn't mean Rory should. She bagged one who does."

"Paris!"

"And I mean, Finn went through all this trouble just to ask her. I mean the least I should do is enjoy it, seeing as I'm getting no romantic gesture when you propose... Sorry, let me correct that, IF you propose."

Logan glared at her. "As a matter of fact, I've been planning on asking you to marry me, but I'm sorry if I want _my_ best friend to get his girl before I got mine." Logan grabbed a ring box from the inside of his coat pocket and threw it over to Paris. "I've been carrying it in my coat pocket for weeks now."

"Log-"

"If you're going to say no, I want that ring back," Logan said moving towards the door. "Oh, and keep away from Finn and Rory until he proposes." With that said he opened the door and walked back into the party, leaving a wide eyed Paris out on the terrace. He found Colin who looked at him questioningly. Logan smirked and walked towards him.

He loved leaving Paris Geller speechless, and if it meant he had to propose to her in order to do it, well, he added the getting married part as a perk. He'd actually had the proposal planned. He was planning on doing a cliché, dinner and proposal out on the balcony of their apartment which would be covered in candles and rose peddles.

But now that he thought of it, the speechless Paris proposal had worked out perfectly. At least it was unique and not overdone.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

"Rory!" Rory smiled as she hugged her little sister who was dressed up in a black and white dress with poofs of tulle underneath the velvet black skirt.

"Hey Ann." Rory said picking up the eleven-year-old. "How are you?"

"I'm good, you?"

"Perfect. Have you said hi to Finn yet?"

"No," Ann squirmed as she walked up to Finn and grabbed his hand. "Hi Finn."

"Hey Tink," he said, calling her the nickname that he had given her after her love of the Disney fairy.

"Can I talk to you?"

Finn looked over at Rory who shrugged. "Uh... sure," he said looking back at Ann, who dragged him towards the other side of the dining room.

"What was that about?" Rory laughed as she hugged her parents.

"Ann's getting more and more like your mother with each day that passes," Chris teased. "Which means she gets crazier and crazier."

"Hey!" Lorelai protested, then turned to her eldest daughter. "So how are you, sweets?"

"I'm good," Rory said. "A little worried about Steph and Paris, but good."

"Worried?" Lorelai asked raising an eyebrow.

Rory shrugged. "Nothing important, so where's Derek?"

"He's around here, probably getting a drink," Chris said. "He wants to talk to you."

"If it's important, he'll find me." Rory said as she continued to talk to her parents.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

"Uh Ann..." Finn trailed off as the eleven-year-old dragged him into the empty lobby and towards the couches that were sitting near the reception.

"Sit," she told him.

Finn nodded, about afraid of what would happen if he didn't. He took a seat and Ann sat next to him.

"Mommy told me what you were going to do tonight. It's the reason I couldn't go sleep over at Jamie's tonight."

"Oh?" Finn said, not sure if Ann was upset about the matter or not.

"I like you, Finn," Ann said looking up at him. "You're better than all the other guys Rory's dated. I've met a few more than my mom and dad, 'cause she took me on some dates with them. They didn't buy me things like you do though."

"Thanks?" He asked confused.

"You're really nice to her, and I know you guys love each other. I guess that's important."

"Very," Finn nodded.

"And mommy and daddy like you, and Derek likes you too. I think 'cause half of him is love with Becca."

"Becca, my Bec... what?" Finn asked confused with the topic of his older sister.

"So the reason I wanted to talk to you was..." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a nervous habit of the Gilmore women. "Was because I guess I wanted to tell you that I approve of you, and that I'd like to have another brother. So welcome to the family." She hugged him, causing Finn to hug her back.

"Thanks, Ann, this means a lot."

"You're welcome, can I ask you something though?"

"Of course?"

"Will you keep liking me even after you and Rory get married, 'cause Jamie's brother got married last year, and she and her sister-in-law were really, really close, but now her sister-in-law hates her and I don't want you to hate me after you and Rory are together."

"I would never hate you, Tink. You're like a little sister, and I could never hate my little sister."

"Okay," she nodded and kissed his cheek. "I'm going to go back to the party now, I saw some of those cheese puffs. I love cheese puffs."

"I know," Finn smiled as he watched her walk back to the party with a smile.

He leaned back against the couch, and ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't sure if he should be relieved that he had the young girl's approval or amused that he actually felt like he needed it.

He had asked Lorelai and Chris months ago if he could have their blessing to marry Rory, and they had given it right away. He had had lunch with Derek, and explained his plans, and the man had told him to take care of his little sister. He hadn't threatened him, though Finn knew it was implied.

He liked that Ann gave her approval though. He remembered when Rory and he had spent the day with her at Coney Island.

_"Mom never takes us to Coney Island," Ann explained as they walked to boardwalk._

_"Really, why not?" Finn asked as he wrapped an arm around Rory's waist and slid down his sunglasses to block out the harsh sun._

_"'Why go to Coney Island when we can bring Coney Island to us,'" Rory mimicked in true Lorelai fashion. "One year she got a skeeball game for me and Derek to avoid taking us."_

_"I still use it," Ann pointed out as she bit into her cotton candy. "How about we put your boyfriend to good use."_

_"Ann!" Rory laughed._

_"I'm serious, I want a teddy bear, and not one of those wimpy little ones, I want one that'll take up half my bed."_

_"Doesn't the boyfriend handbook say something about winning the girlfriend a teddy bear first?" Finn asked._

_"Not that I remember," Ann exclaimed._

_"Why don't you get your own boyfriend and stop leeching off mine," Rory asked._

_"Two reasons, one, daddy won't let me have a boyfriend, even if he is the cute boy in your science class that you've known since you were three."_

_"I knew you liked Trevor," Rory accused as they walked past the Ferris Wheel._

_"And two, it's not leeching when he willingly gives into things, so will you win me a bear?"_

_Finn laughed. "I'm afraid to say no." He let Ann drag him to the first booth, as Rory rolled her eyes behind him, following anyway as Ann explained the basics of the game to him._

He remembered he won Ann the giant stuffed bear and bought her all the food at the differnt food stands at least twice, and so many souvenirs he'd stopped counting after the fifth one.

"Here's where you're hiding." He leaned his head back, looking at Rory upside down as she walked towards him. She smiled at him, leaning down and kissing him. "You do realize that this is your party, right?" She asked against his lips.

"Yes?"

"And do you realize that they're playing our song?"

"Are they now?"

"Yeah," Rory said as she pulled away to stand up straight again. Finn took her hand and let her help him up. He wrapped and arm around her waist and let her lead him back into the dining room and out into the dance floor.

This was the moment, he thought, as he brought her closer into his arms and kissed her temple.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

**_AN: _**I really hate myself sometimes. I had really planned for this to be the last chapter, I'm dead serious. I was so ready to finish it, but then I was writing this last little part, and decided that the cliffy was the best ending for this chapter.

The next chapter for sure will be the last, and I know I've said this for the past three chapters, but I swear the next one is the last.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter, I know it was my favorite to write.

And the next will be up as soon as possible.

Kassandra


	8. The Last Box

_**Part 8: The Last Box**_

He pulled her deeper into his arms as they heard the slow melody of their song drifting out of the speakers. They hadn't chosen one that had words. Rory said that everyone has a song that had words that explained the trials and tribulations of one's relationship, so they had chosen an instrumental song, one they didn't even know the name of.

They had been riding in the car and she had been flipping through the radio channels. They head the song and she had quite proudly announced that that song was their song. It was a slow song, with flutes and a piano playing most of the song. He had to admit that the song was perfect for them.

And it was perfect for this moment.

"Rory?" He asked.

"Hmm?" She looked up at him.

"Are you happy?"

Rory raised an eyebrow. "At this particular moment or in general?"

"In general," he answered.

"Very much," she replied kissing him softly. "What about you? Are you happy?"

Finn stayed silent looking down at her as they swayed to the music. She bit her lip nervously. "Finn?"

"You know," he whispered, "I had a good childhood. Lucky I wasn't raised like Colin or Logan, with no love or affection, no hugs or kisses. My mum read me stories at night, about brave princes saving fair maidens from their towers and slaying dragons. My father took me and Becca to parks and plays and to theme parks even though the lights used to give him headaches. I was happy."

He felt her rest her head on his shoulder looking at the dance floor behind his shoulder. He knew she was still listening.

"Then college was great," he admitted. "Me, Colin and Logan, the Life and Death Brigade, acting stupid, because we knew that after those four years we'd jump headfirst into the stress-filled real world. We jumped off some many things, and drank so much, and we also slept with a lot of girls."

"Finn," Rory winced.

"Wait," he said, not wanting to rub that fact in her face, just like she didn't rub her old boyfriends in his face. "Though I regret a lot of the drunk one-night stands and not being able to remember most of my college experience, I don't regret having fun those four years and being able to act as irresponsible as I wanted. In some ways my parents understood that and didn't stop me from acting out. I was still happy, Rory."

Her fingers curled around the base of his neck, bring him closer as he continued to talk, watching the other dancing couples, yet still listening.

"Then, I graduated, and I started working at a job I happened to like. I liked running my own hotel, I liked running the Rothschild chain. I liked waking up, putting on my suit and going into my office and making orders and running things around here. I liked that I only had to go into the 'real' office once a week and meet with all the managers."

"And now?" Rory asked.

"I'm getting to it. Then one night I go to a bar with my friends to follow our regular Friday night tradition of going home hammered, maybe even with a girl. But then I met this wonderful woman who gave me her number. And when I called a week later to let her know that I wanted to get to know her, I was told, pretty rudely, by an answering service to back the fuck off and leave the girl alone."

"You'd think that stopped you," Rory teased.

"Oh, not at all," Finn said. "You see, I get all the information I can about her since she gave me two names that are actually pretty famous in my little world of society. I find her and talk her into giving me a chance. Not only did she give me this chance, but she gave me just about the greatest round of sex a man could ask for."

Rory laughed and started pushing him away, but he pulled her closer.

"Slowly we've built a relationship that means the world to me. Not only do I like waking up in the morning to go to work, but I love it, I love waking up with you in the morning. I find that I don't just like things anymore. I tend to love them with you near me."

"Finn," Rory whispered, blinking back tears and hiding her face in his chest, but still listening. Finn smiled and kissed the top of her head, turning them so that he was facing Logan. He gave the thumbs up. Logan smiled and signaled Colin as they started clearing the dance floor.

Finn turned back to Rory who was still hiding her face in his chest. "I fell in love with you Rory. I can't pinpoint the exact moment I did. As much as I think about this year together and all the great things we've done, there is no precise moment. Do you want to know why?"

"Why?" She whispered.

"Because I'm still falling," he said leaning down to whisper into her ear. "Everyday I'm with you, Rory, it's like I fall all over again. There are moments I want to throttle you, but then you say or do something that just makes me love you all over again. You do it everyday, and I love it."

He watched as one of her hands went up and wiped her cheek. He kissed her temple.

"I love that feeling, Rory, I've never felt like this before. I know it won't ever stop. I've jumped off a lot of things. I have the proof if you want to see it later," he said. "But the minute I took this one, I knew it was going to be the last. I don't plan on landing anytime soon, Rory." He backed away and smiled as Rory stood in the middle of the dance floor.

She looked around and saw all their friends and family at the edge of the dance floor. They were the only two people on it. She turned back to Finn who was now kneeling in front of her. Her hand went up to her mouth as she began to cry.

"So when you ask if I'm happy, I say yes, I'm very, very happy." He grabbed her hand and brought her closer, so that they were the only two to hear what he had to say. "I want to marry you, Rory, I want the satisfaction of knowing that I'm the one and only for you. I want our forever, I want to be the first to touch you in the morning and the last to touch you at night. I want our happily ever after. So will you have me, Rory? Will you marry me?"

Rory gave a little nod, her hand still covering her mouth.

"Was that a yes?" He whispered. "I'm not so sure, your mother or grandmother could take that as a yes."

Rory uncovered her mouth, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Yes, that's a yes," she laughed as he stood up and hugged her.

"Thank god," he muttered into her ear as he faintly heard the group applaud and cheer.

"You had doubts?" Rory asked.

Finn shrugged as he pulled away. "I thought you'd think of some little thing I do that you couldn't live with."

"I'll live with you, Finn, faults and all. I love you sweetie, nothing will ever change that."

"Good," he dug around inside pocket only to sigh. "I left the ring upstairs."

"It's okay," she whispered kissing him lightly. "I want to see it before I start showing it off."

"And they say size doesn't matter," Finn sighed as they started towards the group of congratulating family members.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

Paris and Steph smiled as they watched Rory and Finn hug in the middle of the dance floor. Steph bit her lip, switched her engagement ring from her right hand to her left and showed it to Paris.

"I'm engaged. I have been for about two weeks now," Steph said.

Paris smiled and took out the box Logan had given to her. She took out the ring and tried it on. Of course it fit perfectly.

"I guess I'm engaged too," she said looking at the ring.

"Congratulations," Steph smiled.

"You too, Steph. Now I have to go let Logan know." Steph watched Paris walk away with a frown.

"Weirdo," Steph laughed as she walked over to Colin.

"Hey," Colin said as he watched Finn and Rory walk over to them.

"Can I tell them now?" Steph asked.

"Tell us what?" Rory asked.

"Me and Colin are engaged," Steph blurted out. "Have been for two weeks."

Finn sighed. "I thought you and Logan were going to wait until after I purposed."

"I was going to but..."

_"Dammit!" Steph said throwing the drawer closed._

_Colin walked into the room with a raised eyebrow. "What did the drawer do so I can kick the piece of shit's ass?"_

_"Now is not the time to be funny, Colin."_

_"I think now is the perfect time," Colin smirked as he watched Steph walk around their bedroom in her white blouse, black tights and matching panties. "This moment is quite comical."_

_  
"You know what, Mr. Smarty Lawyer Dude, shut up and help me find my pants."_

_"Where did you throw them last night?" Colin asked absently._

_"I think the question is where did _you_ throw them last night?" Steph sighed as she sat down on the floor. "I need those pants, Colin."_

_"Step, you have billons of black pants in the closet."_

_"I have three," she corrected, "And those black pants aren't like the other pants."_

_Colin shook his head at his pouting girlfriend. "Check the closet again, I may have hung them up." He looked down at the stupid tie and growled as he went back to the bathroom to fix it._

_Steph sighed as she stood up and went back to the closet. She searched the clothes and didn't find the black pants. Growling in frustration she retraced her steps. Walking out to the living room she thought about what happened the night before._

_She and Colin came in, made out on the couch before taking it to the bedroom, tripped over the coffee table, then made it to the bedroom, where he took off her pants, she had stepped out of them and then..._

_"HA!" She went over to Colin's side of the bed and pushed the covers up on the bed before getting down on her hands and knees. "Ha!" She grabbed the black pants that Colin had tripped over from under the bed._

_"Find them?" Colin asked as he looked around the room for the blonde._

_"Under the bed!" Steph said proudly as she got up. Before she had a chance to put them on, Colin grabbed the pants from her and looked through them. "What the hell are you doing?!" She asked. "I'm going to be late for work if you don't give me my pants!"_

_"I was just..." Colin frowned as he gave her back her pants. "I just don't want you looking under the bed." _

_Steph raised an eyebrow as she watched him fix the covers. "Why? Do you have like porn videos under there that you don't want me seeing? I mean I know you were lonely before me and guys watching porn is very normal, especially if they don't have anyone to fuck."_

_"One, we don't fuck."_

_"We make love, whatever," Steph shrugged._

_"And two, I don't hide porn under the bed."_

_"I know some of it is in the closet."_

_"How did you..." Colin looked at the closet behind him as Steph smiled and got back on her hands and knees to look under the bed. Colin looked down. "Steph!"_

_"What is the big..."_

_Colin winced as she came out, sitting on her knees holding a small ring box. He watched her open it and drop it on the ground staring at it. _

_"Is that a-"_

_"Yeah,." Colin choked out._

_"You were going to-"_

_"In three weeks," he nodded._

_"And I just-"_

_"Yep."_

_"Are you going to ask me now or wait?"_

_"I was going to wait," Colin said sitting down on the floor against the nightstand and glancing at the ring sitting between them._

_"Ask me now," Steph smiled._

_"What?" Colin asked looking up at her._

_"Ask me now."_

_"But Finn and Rory?"_

_  
"Ask me now," Steph said. "I won't tell anyone, just ask me now."_

_"Why don't you just forget you saw it and I'll ask you when I planned on asking you?"_

_  
Steph raised an eyebrow. "Are you talking to me or your other girlfriend?"_

_"Right, you wouldn't be able to forget, would you?" Colin muttered._

_"Ask me now."_

_Colin sighed, ran a hand through his hair and started. "Steph, will you..."_

_"Yes!"_

_"Can I finish?"_

_Steph nodded, covering her mouth as she watched him take another breath._

_"Steph, will you marry me?"_

_She uncovered her mouth and nodded. "Yes!" She launched herself into his arms and took off his tie that he'd worked so hard on tying. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"_

_"So that's a yes?"_

_"Yes!" She kissed him and started unbuttoning his shirt, untucking it from his pants._

_"Wait, what about work?" He mumbled against her lips._

_"Hmm, I feeling rather sick," she mumbled back, unsnapping his pants._

"And then we had sex, and well, I'm engaged," Steph said shrugging happily.

"Oh!" Rory hugged her friend. "This is so great!"

"I know!" Steph squealed. "I've been dying to tell you, but Colin said that he'd take the ring away if I told anyone."

"You haven't told anyone?" Rory asked in surprise. Steph couldn't keep a secret for two minutes, let alone two weeks.

"No," Steph sighed. "Have you seen the rock on this thing? No way was I giving it up, even if it was temporary."

"Congratulations, man," Finn smiled.

"Thanks, you too."

Finn nodded. "When are you planning the wedding?"

"Colin and I have talked about it and we've settled for the winter wedding, December or January..." Steph's eyes widened. "Oh! December thirty-first, at midnight and the minute we say I do, fireworks go off at the strike of midnight... oh I love it!"

"Whatever you want, Steph," Colin said shaking his head.

"Aww, god, that is so great, Steph," Rory smiled.

"What about you?" Steph asked coming out from her planning wedding mode. "You've always ranted and raved about summer weddings and summer is just around the corner."

"Oh," Rory bit her lip. "I'm not sure. I mean we just got engaged not even ten minutes ago."

"You guys seem like a short engagement couple," Colin said, but shrugged. "Maybe I called it wrong."

Finn shrugged. "Like Rory said, we just got engaged, Colin. I have yet to give her the ring."

Before Steph could ask Rory answered. "He forgot it upstairs."

"I want to see it at breakfast tomorrow morning. Now, Colin, let's go tell my mom."

Colin sighed. "Yes, dear." He let Steph drag him off.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

Paris walked over to Logan who was talking to his parents. Placing her left hand away from his view she walked over to him. He looked down at her and took her right hand, frowning when he felt something in the palm of his hand. Not wanting to look down he tuned back into the conversation where Paris was nodding to his parents.

"Of course. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go use the little girls' room." She gave Logan a smile before walking off.

"Logan?"

Logan looked up at his father's questioning gaze. "Huh?"

"Where were you, son?"

"I was just..." He looked down at his palm and saw the ring box. Feeling his stomach drop he backed away. "Excuse me." He walked away from his parents and towards the bathrooms where he found Paris leaning against the wall.

"I was kidding, you know," Logan said as he pulled her into the women's bathroom. He checked the stalls before locking the door.

"What?"

"I was kidding about giving me the ring back. You were supposed to say yes."

"Was I?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest, yet hiding her left hand. She wanted to hear him rant. It was so rare that she ruffled the ever-so-composed Logan Huntzberger's feathers. Now that she had, she was going to milk it for what it was worth. It's how they showed each other they cared.

"Yes! I mean I've put up with your neurotic ways for a year, we've moved in together, half the time I think I'm crazy to be with you, but here I am, practically begging you to marry me."

"Put up?" She asked, a bit offended.

"Oh come on, like you don't put up with some things I do."

She shrugged. "I like you the way you are."

"Bull," Logan said. "You've complained multiple times about things I do, yet we go home together, share a bed, talk about our damn future and when I finally ask you to marry me, you say no!"

Paris shrugged. "I didn't know marriage was a big deal to you."

"Are you..." Logan ran a hand through his hair, taking a calming breath before he throttled his girlfriend. "Do you even know me, Paris?"

"Of course I do," she said, shocked that he would think she didn't.

"No, you don't. If you did, you'd know that I haven't been this womanizer that you claim I am in years. If you did, you would know that the minute we kissed a year ago, I knew that it was forever. Dammit, Paris, I really thought you knew me, but I guess I was wrong."

Paris watched as Logan started to unlock the door. Finding her voice she called him. "Logan!"

"What?" Logan asked annoyed.

"Check the box," she said looking down at the ground and wiping the tears that had fallen. She hated crying. She wiped them and looked back up to see him watching her.

"What?"

"The ring box, check it," Paris repeated.

Logan sighed. "Paris, I really don't want to see that damn ring, laughing at my face right now."

"Check the damn box, Huntzberger."

With a sigh, he took the box out of his pants pocket and opened it slowly. He frowned when he saw the ring wasn't in it. Looking up, he saw Paris showing him the ring on her left hand.

"You said..."

"I said yes, Logan."

"But the box..."

"You said you wanted to ring back... I just gave you the box. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." Logan cut her off by taking her in his arms and kissing her.

"Don't scare me like that again, Paris."

"I didn't think you would... I'm sorry."

Logan pulled back and smirked. "Did I just get Paris Geller to apologize?"

"Don't get used to it, Huntzberger."

"I won't." He kissed her again, but before they could take the kiss deeper, they heard a bang on the door.

"Come on, open the door. I really have to go. If you forgot, this is a hotel and you can get a room and have sex there. Come on!"

Logan smirked as he unlocked the door and Rory tumbled in. "Hey Gilmore."

"Soon-to-be Rothschild, thank you very much. What are doing in here?"

"Proposing to Paris," Logan shrugged before kissing Rory's cheek. "Congrats."

"Thanks," Rory said with a frown as he walked out. She turned to Paris who had a silly grin on her face. "So Logan proposed to you in a women's bathroom?"

"No, he proposed on the terrace. He yelled and I accepted in the women's bathroom."

"If I didn't have to go to the bathroom so bad, I would make you explain."

"I'll tell you at breakfast," Paris said. "Congratulations."

"You too," Rory said going into the stall. "I'm guessing spring?"

Paris nodded. "Yeah," she looked down t her ring. "Spring would be great."

"Then spring it is," Rory said with a smile. Looked like everyone was happy now.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

"It's wonderful of you to give us room, Finnegan," Emily Gilmore said as Finn checked them in.

"Rory and I thought it was unnecessary for everyone to drive back to Hartford this late at night."

"Isn't he just so dreamy when he's working?" Rory said wrapping her arms around her fiancé's waist and smiling at her grandparents.

"The dreamiest," Emily laughed. "You've got yourself a good one, Rory."

"Thanks, grandma," Rory smiled as Finn stepped out of her embrace, kissing her lightly before searching for the Gilmores' keys.

Rory sat behind the counter, her chin in her hand, waiting for Finn to finish up so they could go up together.

"Though we don't condone you two living together before marriage," Richard said getting Rory's attention. "Especially so soon after you two got together."

"Grandpa, we were together almost a year before moving in together," Rory laughed.

"It's still not right for a young lady of your nature to move in with her boyfriend," Emily pointed out as Finn came back with their keys.

"I think that's only if you have no intention of marrying said boyfriend," Rory said, causing Finn to bite his lip from smirking at his fiancée's logic. "I had every intention of marrying Finn."

"Every day more and more like your mother," Emily muttered as Richard took the keys from Finn.

"Thank you," Rory smiled.

"Enjoy your night," Finn called off as Richard and Emily as they got into the elevator.

"Our room better be bigger than theirs," Lorelai said as she bounded to the reception area."

Finn laughed. "I'll go get your keys."

Lorelai and Rory watched as he walked towards the keys. Lorelai looked back at her daughter and smiled. "Getting married huh?"

"Yep," Rory smiled.

"I'm happy, kid."

"I'm happy too, mom."

"Finn's good to you."

Rory nodded. "Very, very good to me."

"And..."

"He can't get you free tickets to any concert."

"Dammit!" Lorelai muttered.

"What is it with you thinking he can?" Rory laughed.

"Your last boyfriend did," Lorelai pointed out.

"My last boyfriend worked for a recording label. This boyfriend, now fiancé, works in hotels."

"What about me?" Finn asked walking back.

"Mom's asking about concerts again."

"I'd be happy to pay for your ticket," Finn said.

"See, I like him."

"Go!" Rory said handing Lorelai her keys.

"See, this is why you're not running at full capacity, Finn," Lorelai told him. "It's 'cause service sucks."

"Mom!"

"He knows I'm kidding, you know I'm kidding."

Finn laughed. "I know you're kidding."

"See, he knows I'm kidding. Now I'm going to go find your father and my favorite daughter."

"I'm right here," Rory teased.

"Oh, you're so funny," Lorelai said. "See you in the morning?"

"Yep."

"Night, sweets."

"Night, mom." She watched as Lorelai walked into the dining room, then Ann in her father's arms asleep.

"Jeez, she's dead," Lorelai said checking her younger daughter's pulse, making sure she was indeed alive.

"Nah, just crashed," Chris said. "She had one too many cheese puffs and cokes, kept running around the dining room. She crashed about an hour ago."

"Ah, the wonders of being a kid."

"Night, guys."

"Night," Rory and Finn chorused. They watched as her parents and younger sister got in the elevator before Rory turned to Finn.

"Have you seen Derek?"

Finn shook his head. "No, I haven't seen Becca either. I sort of needed to talk to her."

"I haven't talked to her in a while. Last I talked to her, she and Frank were having a bit of trouble."

Becca and Rory had gotten to know each other and had become the best of friends. When they had first met, Becca was about five months pregnant, and had gotten close. Rory had been the one to answer the call, at three in the morning, to find out that she had gone into labor.

_Rory glared at the phone, then scanned the clock. Who in the world would call at three in the morning? Reaching out she grabbed the cordless phone and brought it under the pillow with her._

_"'ello?" She murmured._

_"Rory?" She heard a male voice ask._

_Rory frowned, her eyes still closed. She focused on the voice, she'd heard it once or twice before. "Frank?"_

_"Yeah, uh... is Finn there?"_

_"Sleeping, he is," Rory mumbled into the bed spread, closing her eyes again._

_"Right, well... do you think you could wake him up? It's sort of important. It's about Becca."_

_Rory shot up in bed. "Oh my god, what happened? Is she okay, is the baby okay?"_

_"They're fine, uh… she's actually kind of going into labor." _

_"What hospital?" Rory asked, frowning when she heard cars honking and an ambulance in the background._

_"St. Joseph's in Hartford."_

_"We'll be there as soon as possible," Rory said as she hung up. She turned to her boyfriend who was still in a deep sleep. "Finn?"_

_"Mmmm."_

_"Finn, sweetie, wake up."_

_"Sex?"_

_Rory rolled her eyes. "No, no sex."_

_"Then sleep."_

_"Becca's going into labor," Rory said, causing Finn's eyes to open._

_"What?"_

_"Becca, she's going into labor. Frank just called."_

_"Where?"_

_"St Joseph's," Rory said._

_"Right." She watched as Finn got out of bed and started running around the room, getting dressed. Rory smiled as she got up, pulled on a pair of jeans and a shirt, buttoned up her winter coat and sat on the bed, putting on her sneakers._

_"Baby presents, where the hell did we put the baby presents?" Finn muttered as he threw things out of the shelf in the closet. _

_Rory turned as she propped her foot up on the bed and looked over at him. "Sweetie?"_

_  
"What?" Finn asked distracted._

_"Don't you think you should put pants on first?"_

_"Right."_

_Rory smirked. "Maybe some boxers?"_

_"What?" Finn turned causing Rory to smile._

_"It's just... though I might appreciate your fine assets, I don't think the little newborns will. I think you should at least give them a year before corrupting them." She laughed._

_Finn glared at her before pulling on his boxers, then the jeans he'd discarded. "I'm glad you're getting a kick out of my sister's kid's birth."_

_"I'm the one with pants on and waiting for you."_

_"I can't find those stupid presents."_

_"They're not stupid to the baby."_

_"Rory!" Finn said annoyed._

_"Finn!" Rory mocked. She laughed. "Sweetie, don't you think we should just go to the hospital, support your sister? By the sounds on the phone I don't think Frank is with her."_

_Finn nodded and grabbed his coat. "Let's go."_

_"There's that calm and collected Finn I love." She grabbed her phone and keys and followed him out._

When Rory had met Becca's husband, he'd been nice enough, a bit nervous and quiet, but nice. She'd noticed that whenever Finn and Becca talked about the baby or the nursery or when Rory asked about names, he'd stiffen and look at anywhere else except at Becca.

Oddly, he'd reminded her of Jess when she'd gone through her bad boy phase.

_"So..." Finn asked as they walked down New York streets._

_"So what?"_

_"You just met my sister."_

_"And her husband," Rory pointed out._

_"What did you think?" Finn asked._

_"Becca's great."_

_"She is." Finn agreed._

_"And I think that if we were alone and had time to get to know each other better, she'd have great embarrassing stories about you."_

_Finn glared. "She has enough, but we had a pact."_

_"A pact?"_

_"Yes, a pact. I don't tell anyone about her embarrassing teenage moments, she doesn't tell any of mine." _

_"Must be pretty embarrassing if you've got that pact going on."_

_"No comment," Finn said._

_"I liked her, Finn."_

_"Good, she liked you too."_

_"I'm glad," Rory smiled._

_"What about Frank?"_

_Rory bit her lip, not quite sure how to put it. "Um..."_

_"You don't like him," Finn said._

_"No, it's not that," Rory said. "He didn't say a mean word, I can't not like him, Finn. He didn't do anything wrong to make me dislike him."_

_"So what was it?"_

_"He just reminded me of an ex."_

_"Was this ex good or bad?"_

_"This ex had a name," Rory laughed. "His name was Jess."_

_"The one that bolted?"_

_"Yes, Finn, add salt to the wound," Rory said with a roll of her eyes._

_"Sorry."_

_Rory shrugged. "Frank just had some of the same things Jess had."_

_"Like?"_

_"The urge to bolt," Rory said stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. Finn turned and looked at her._

_"What?"_

_Rory shrugged. "I may be wrong, but he just had the nervousness. He stiffened at the mention of the baby and wouldn't look at Becca. When he did, he would avoid looking at her belly."_

_"What husband or boyfriend looks at a woman's stomach?" Finn asked defensibly. _

_"Finn, when a woman is pregnant, their husband's gaze usually does linger on the stomach. My dad's did when my mom was pregnant with Ann."_

_"Well, not all families can be perfect like yours," Finn said._

_"I'm not saying they are, Finn." She shook her head and crossed her arms. "Look, you asked my opinion and I gave it to you. I didn't want to fight about this."_

_"Whatever."_

_"Finn," Rory said. "I understand family's important to you. You're talking to the woman who spends Friday nights with her mom watching the Godfather trilogy, just to get to the Sophia dying scene to watch it a million times repeatedly. I get that you're protective of Becca, I would be too. I didn't mean to offend you or your family. You asked for my opinion, I gave it. You don't have to agree with it."_

_"I know."_

_Rory shook her head at his defensive tone. "I'm going to go home, I'll talk to you later."_

_"Rory," Finn sighed._

_"I'll call you later," Rory said walking down the street, her arms still crossed._

She had called him later and he'd asked her to come over, so they could talk.

_"Hi," Finn said as the elevator doors opened and Rory stepped out._

_"Hi," Rory said putting her purse down on the couch._

_"Do you want something to drink?"_

_Rory shook her head. "Nope."_

_"Okay, then we talk."_

_"We talk," Rory said sitting down. Finn sat next to her, shifting so he could talk to her._

_"I didn't mean to get mad."_

_"You had every right to," Rory said._

_"Yeah, but in this case I didn't."_

_Rory looked up at him and he shrugged. "I've thought the same about Frank since I met him. I knew him way before he and Becca started dating. He's never been into commitment, though Becca snagged him and convinced him of it, and well, they got married."_

_"He still not ready," Rory whispered._

_Finn shrugged. "I think he still wants to be the 16-year-old boy who wants to be free. He's a nice guy, he just isn't ready for a kid. Ever since he found out, he's had that 'urge to bolt' face that you told me about."_

_"Then why'd you get upset?" Rory said. "If you thought the same thing, why'd you get mad at me?"_

_"Because I thought I was the only person to see it, I just... I guess I wasn't ready for someone else to see it. And then to voice it out."_

_Rory nodded. "I can see that."_

_"I'm not mad at you. If anything, I'm mad at Frank for not wanting the baby."_

_"He wants the baby, Finn, just... not now." Rory ran a hand through her hair. "Can we talk about this more tomorrow? I'm tired and I still have to go home and shower."_

_"Stay here," Finn told her._

_"What?"_

_"Yeah, stay here. You have an outfit in the closet. Just stay."_

_"All right," Rory nodded._

"I'm worried about Becca," Finn said bringing Rory out of her thoughts.

"What?"

"Becca, I'm worried about her. She's been so busy taking care of Charlie, I've barely seen her these last couple of months."

"I know, sweetie, I'm sure she's fine."

"Who's fine?"

They looked up and saw Derek looking at them. Rory smiled and hugged her brother over the counter.

"I haven't seen you all night."

Derek hesitated before nodding. "I know, I had some things to do. You're getting married."

"I know," Rory smiled giddily.

"I guess it's time I moved out of mom and dad's."

"Definitely," Rory nodded.

"Yeah, well, I got a place lined up."

"That's great, Derek."

Derek shrugged and yawned. "I guess. It's going to be hell trying to make my own food now, but I'll get through it."

"I'll go get your keys," Finn said noticing Derek's yawn.

"Thanks, man."

"Mom said you wanted to talk to me about something."

"I'll tell you in the morning," Derek waved off. "I'm drained."

"All right," Rory nodded as Finn came back with the keys.

"Hey, saw the proposal, man, that was great."

"Thanks," Finn smiled.

"And I'm glad she said yes. You're way better than all the other losers."

"That's what Ann told me too," Finn laughed.

"Yeah, well, Ann has good taste in guys." Derek yawned again and got the keys from Finn's hand. "I'm off, night guys."

"Night."

"Derek?" Finn asked.

"Yeah?" Derek asked turning back.

"Have you seen Becca?"

Derek nodded. "Uh, last time I saw her she was out in the gardens. I was talking to the realtor and saw her. She seemed upset about something, but I left it alone. I suck at cheering girls up, Rory can attest to that."

"He does," Rory nodded.

Finn smiled. "All right. Thanks."

"Welcome," Derek said as he got in the elevator.

"Love?"

"Hmm?"

"Everyone is checked in."

"Then let's go up."

"Except Becca," Finn said. "I'm going to go see if I can find her. Why don't you go on up?"

"All right," Rory kissed him lightly. "You know that whatever is bugging her, if there is something bugging her, she won't want to talk about it."

"Sadly I followed that and I know."

"All right." She kissed him again and went around the counter, going up the elevator.

Finn took Becca's key before going through the dining room which would be cleared tomorrow early morning. He'd let the staff go around twelve and locked the doors to the hotel. He'd let the kitchen crew go after dessert had been served at eleven, and the bartenders go when people started pouring their own drinks.

He smirked as he remembered Rick, the bartenders, face when Lorelai had shoved him aside and taught him how to shake a martini - it had been priceless.

Noticing Becca's coat hanging on the back of a chair he grabbed it and went out to the terrace and down to the gardens. He wandered around until he saw her sitting on one of the stone benches looking up.

"Hey big sister."

Becca smiled and looked over. "Hey little brother."

"What are you doing out here?" Finn asked putting her coat around her shoulders and sitting next to her.

"Just thinking. Congratulations by the way."

"Thanks."

"You did a wonderful job proposing."

"So I've been told," Finn smirked.

"I think Rory loved that her family was there to see it."

"I thought she would."

"Too bad mum and dad couldn't be here."

Finns shrugged. "We're having dinner with them at the end of the week."

"Good."

"Derek said he saw you out here."

"Yep, he was on his phone, kept me company, then said he was freezing."

Finn laughed. "He left you."

Becca looked at him. "What?"

"Derek, he left you out here?"

"No, he offered to walk me back, but I declined. I wanted to think."

"About?"

Becca looked at him. "You know me well enough that I won't infringe on your day."

"It's two in the morning, it's no longer my day."

"Finn," Becca sighed.

"Becca."

"I don't want to talk about it, Finn."

"But when you do..." Finn trailed off.

"You'll be the first to know," Becca said.

"Good, now let's get you out of this cold. I'll walk you to your room."

"Thanks, little brother, but I think I'm going to stay out here a little while longer."

"You sure?" Finn asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I just... I just want to be alone."

"You can be alone in a nice warm room."

"You worry about me, I love you for that, but go, be with your soon-to-be wife. I bet she's waiting for you and keeping the bed warm. Go."

Finn sighed knowing it was no use to argue with her when she was being this difficult. "Fine, here's the key to your room."

"Thanks. I'll see you in the morning."

Finn sighed and nodded. "Do me a favor?"

"Anything to get you away from me," Becca teased.

"When you feel your toes getting numb, come inside," Finn said, leaving it at that. He walked away and back towards the hotel.

He never heard Becca's "too late" or saw the lone tear that made its way down her cheek.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

Rory pulled on her boxer shorts and one of Finn's undershirts and got into bed. Grabbing the book for the night stand, she pulled her knees up and propped up the book, immediately losing herself in the world of literature.

She never heard the ding of the elevator or the door to the bedroom opening. Finn smirked as he saw her reading. He knew that when reading, she would never notice anything.

He took off his suit, leaving on his boxers, and threw the undershirt into the closet before bending down under the nightstand and reaching under it. Turning his hand up and putting his palm on the underside of the nightstand, he felt around until he felt the velvet lining of the ring box he'd hid there a month ago.

Carefully pulling it down, he took it out from under the nightstand and removed the masking tape he'd used to stick it on and rolled it in a ball, throwing it away in the trash can in the corner of the room.

He opened the box and took out the engagement ring. Walking over to the bed he took Rory's left hand and started slipping it on the finger when she looked up at him.

"What are you... oh."

"What do you think?" He asked, slipping the ring all the way on.

"Oh my..."

"It's a set," Finn explained taking her hand. "This is just the band." Rory looked at it, and smiled. The band was a simple silver, but embedded all around were diamonds.

"It's beautiful."

"Then the other one." He grabbed the box from the nightstand where he had placed it and opened it, showing her the wedding ring.

"Finn," Rory whispered looking at the ring. The ring itself was also simple, with the silver band. It was the square-cut diamond that made her look up at him.

"I thought that you'd want something simple, not too flashy."

"Not too flashy," she laughed taking the ring out of the box and putting it on her finger. "My mother would be able to see it from Stars Hollow."

"Stop exaggerating," Finn laughed. "Hartford maybe, not Stars Hollow."

"It's..." Rory took it off her finger and put it in the box. "There are no words."

"But actions?" Finn asked with a smirk, setting her book aside, along with the ring box. "Are there actions?"

Rory smiled back, getting on her knees and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Oh, baby, there are lots of actions."

Finn smirked as he pulled her down on to the bed and let her show him how grateful she was.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

Derek groaned and got out of bed, cursing whoever was knocking on his door. Walking out of the bedroom and regretting that he had left that comfortable bed, he walked to the door and pulled it open.

His eyes went wide and found himself blinking a few times to see if he was imagining the raven-haired beauty at his door. "Becca?"

"Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"No, it's fine, come on in."

"Thanks."

"If you don't mind me asking, what god must I thank to see you at my door at three in the morning?"

Becca laughed. "You and Rory are a lot alike." She sat on the couch and Derek followed. "I just didn't want to be alone is all."

Derek raised an eyebrow. "Last we talked you wanted to be alone."

"I know," Becca sighed. "I just... I was walking towards my room and I thought about it being so big and lonely…"

"You miss Charlie and Frank," Derek said.

Becca bit her lip and looked down at the ground.

"Becca?" Derek asked. When she didn't respond, he lifted her chin with two fingers. He felt a stir of anger in his belly when he saw the unshed tears in her eyes. "Becca, what's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing, I just..."

"Becca, you can tell me," Derek said.

Becca bit her lip lightly and looked up at his blue eyes and felt herself spill everything that had happened to her in the past months.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

"Those were some grateful actions," Finn said against Rory's neck.

"Mhm."

"Rory?"

"Mhm."

Finn pulled back and looked at her. He smiled as he saw her eyes closed and a small smile gracing her lips. He leaned down and nipped her bottom lip lightly, causing her to open her eyes.

"Rory?"

"Hmm?"

"I want a short engagement."

She looked up at him, "So do I," she said slowly.

"And I want to get married in the summer."

"Finn, so do I, but that wedding party coming in."

"I love how clueless you are sometimes," Finn laughed kissing her again.

"Finn," Rory said pushing him away.

"We're the wedding party, Rory."

"What?" She asked, her eyes wide.

Finn shrugged. "I blocked off those three months. About a month ago."

"You did?"

"Mhm."

"Why?"

"Because I knew that if you said yes, you'd want a summer wedding. Every time you watch one of those wedding shows, I hear about your perfect summer wedding. Well, now it's _our_ perfect summer wedding."

"God, I love you."

"Hmm, I'd hope so," Finn said. "You're stuck with me."

"You're perfect," she said kissing his face. "You are a beautiful specimen of a man."

"Well, thank you," Finn laughed, nuzzling the side of her neck.

"Now get off, you big lug," Rory laughed.

"Why? I'm quite comfortable here," Finn teased, kissing the side of her neck..

"So am I, but I want to do something."

"Something dirty?" Finn asked pulling back to look at her with a teasing gaze.

"No," she laughed pushing him off. She sat up and grabbed the shirt that he had pulled off and pulled it over her head. She slipped out of bed and out the door.

"How can you stand?!" Finn yelled out at her. "I can barely move and there you are, standing as if we just watched a movie, and here I am, paralyzed from the waist down... I believe my arms are also incapable of moving. It's quite a blow to my ego, love."

"Oh shush," Rory said kicking the door closed. Finn turned and looked over at her. She was carrying a box which she placed on the bed as she climbed back up. "I'm having trouble walking thanks to you, but I want to get this over with."

"And ego is back in place," Finn said sitting up. "What's that?"

"This is _the_ box."

"What box?"

Rory rolled her eyes. "This is my last unpacked box."

"Oh, _that _box."

"Yes, _that_ box." Rory said as she started opening.

"So what's in it?"

"Open it," Rory said sliding the box over to him as she got back on the bed. Finn looked over at her before grabbing the box and opening it. He looked inside, only to frown.

"There is only one thing in here." He pulled it out and pushed the box to the floor and laid the thing on the bed. "It's a T-shirt."

"I know," Rory laughed. "It's the T-shirt mom got it for me at one of those tacky T-shirt shops."

"'Ginger Rodgers did everything that Fred Astaire did, but she did it backwards and in high heels.'" Finn read rolling his eyes. "Well, it screams Lorelai."

"And it has a pop culture reference," Rory folded the shirt and put it on the ground. "And now I'm all unpacked."

"Rory, when you first brought that box, it was full."

"I know," Rory said with a nod.

"Where's all the stuff?"

"In the drawers," Rory shrugged. "I've been slowly unpacking the box for months. I put all my cute screen Tees in it."

"So you left one in there?"

"I rarely wear that one."

"I only have two words for you, love."

"Oh yeah, what's that?" Rory asked.

"Welcome home," he whispered before pulling her down on the bed and kissing her.

_**End**_

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

**_AN:_** There you go, there's the end. Now, I had trouble with the ending. I changed it about three times before leaving it like this and I liked it.

I don't know if you noticed, but I changed the rating to the story, as well as to a few others. I've been wanting to do it for a while. When I put the ratings, it's because I plan on doing something that makes it M, then later I tend to change it. This one changed. I thought that sex would somewhat ruin the feel of the story... but the mention of it wouldn't.

Also, I left some room for a sequel. If written, it would revolve around the girls and them planning their wedding, but the couple would mainly be Becca and Derek. I would love to know if you want that story, or if you want to imagine what is wrong with Becca?

I hope you enjoyed the story, I know I enjoyed writing it!

Thanks for reading, and remember, depending on your feedback, it goes into the decision of the sequel.

Kassandra


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